


Scintilla

by 0roro_Munr0e



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alpha Angeal Hewley, Alpha Barret Wallace, Alpha Genesis Rhapsodos, Alpha Sephiroth (Compilation of FFVII), Alpha Zack Fair, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Beta Tifa Lockhart, Dubious Consent, Explicit Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Multi, Omega Aerith Gainsborough, Omega Cloud Strife, Pack Bonding, Please Don't Take This Seriously, Pregnancy, Wish Fulfillment, omega Yuffie Kisaragi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-26
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-01-03 14:08:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 67,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21180701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0roro_Munr0e/pseuds/0roro_Munr0e
Summary: Shinra Company noticed the gradual decline of their alpha soldiers. At first there were talks of defect, but after careful investigation, alphas now made up ten percent of the world population while omegas were a mere one percent. Professor Hojo hypothesized that the lack of omegas was the reason for the alpha population decline, since alpha-omega pairs guaranteed alpha offspring. Yet the answer as to why this phenomenon occurred remained unknown.Sephiroth encounters a male omega during a mission and shows little restraint towards him, despite being trained to resist omega pheromones. He brings the omega back to Midgar, who adjusts to the dreary city. Cloud, the omega, reunites with his childhood friend and alpha soldier, Zack. His body endlessly craves Sephiroth while his friendship with Zack also becomes sexual. The three later discover that they are fated to be together-- a rare phenomenon for many alpha-omega pairs.However, omegas aren't allowed to choose their mates. Shinra randomly assigns a soldier to mate with an omega in heat in hopes of quickly producing alpha offspring. Cloud's freedom disappears before his very eyes when he realizes that he may not be with Zack and Sephiroth.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is 100% a self-indulgent fic, so please don't take this seriously. I'm mostly doing this to practice my smut writing. I am well aware of the flaws in this and I do not care to change them. 
> 
> I will add archive warnings/tags if I decide to make it weird. And of course, chapter warnings will be posted just to be on the safe side. Thanks for reading!

At the time of the Soldier Program’s formation by Shinra Company, Professor Hojo learned that alphas responded better to the mako injections than betas. After comparing their performances in simulation battles, alphas remained far superior than betas as soldiers. With this data, President Shinra forcefully removed alphas from their homes and brought them to Midgar as prospective soldiers. Many were unwilling, as they were not fond of war and bloodshed. However, the President enforced his need for alpha soldiers by threatening them with violence.

Public opinions regarding Shinra Company became negative. Many rouge alphas and betas formed rebellion groups that believed in ending President Shinra’s dictatorship. However, their voices became crushed by the mighty power of Soldier. The President successfully skewed global views of his company with his best and most powerful soldier named Sephiroth, who singlehandedly ended the Wutai Rebellion. Many alphas and betas longed to gain notoriety like Sephiroth and enrolled into the Soldier Program.

Years after the Wutai Rebellion, Shinra Company noticed the gradual decline of their alpha soldiers. At first there were talks of defects, but after careful investigation, there was an irregular ratio within the world population. According to the Department of Administrative Research, alphas were now ten percent of the world population. Beta counts skyrocketed to eighty-nine percent; and omegas were a mere one percent. Most alphas mated with betas, which then produced beta children. Professor Hojo hypothesized that the lack of omegas was the reason for the alpha population decline, since they are the only group able to produce non-betas. Yet the answer to the question as to why this phenomenon occurred remained unknown.

Desperate to tip the scales in their favor, the President sent his Turks to search every corner of the world for omegas. The head of Urban Development partitioned a special sector in Midgar for them, and the entire sector was well-guarded by Turks and alphas already paired with omegas. However, there were so few omegas living in Midgar’s designated sector that many of the stores and restaurants remained closed due to lack of activity. Out of anger, the President added a new rule that every unpaired alpha soldier will be randomly selected to mate with captured omegas in heat. It didn’t matter how the children were conceived, as long as alphas and omegas were produced. Rut suppressants, heat suppressants, and most forms of birth control for alphas and omegas were completely banned.

The rules formed a divide within Soldier. Some supported the President’s rule; others were not so fond of them. Debates over omegas’ rights became more frequent—but the major players over the vast opinions belonged to the newer generation of alphas. Older alphas believed that omegas were only useful for breeding. The younger alphas wanted omegas to choose their partners without force. The never-ending debates lasted for ages until many grew tired of them and stayed out of the political divide.

Sephiroth was one of the select few alphas who did not care for such trivial matters and only wanted to focus on his duties.

The Turks discovered an isolated town called Nibelheim after one of the company vehicles broke down during a mission. A few of them scouted the area and suspected that omegas lived among the small group of people. Heidegger heard of the news and sent Sephiroth for the mission. The head of Soldier firmly believed that the remote location was the perfect hideout for stray Wutai warriors. Sephiroth didn’t see a purpose in completing an omega fetch quest that could have been given to a beta for all he cared. But the words ‘Wutai’ and ‘rebellion’ managed to convince their dear President to approve of the low-level mission.

Whatever.

As his green eyes scanned the desolate town, he spotted several residents staring at the lower ranks treading past him. Sephiroth stood to the side and watched as the town residents were stopped and asked to present their arms for a blood test. Shinra created a division within Soldier after the rise of betas within the military. These men were trained to read the test results of the alphas and omegas. Sephiroth found the division to be useful, given that the Turks used to oversee alpha and omega recruitment. However, President Shinra’s desperation for omegas forced him to order his Turks to solely focus on locating omegas.

He sighed as he casually watched people cautiously stare at the medical equipment. Eventually the Science Department will come up with better technology. This outdated method wasted too much time.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he frowned when something tickled his senses. Sniffing, he slowly opened his eyes and glanced around the town.

Why did he smell a sweet floral scent?

Nostrils flared, he immediately followed the invisible trail, ignoring the confused stares from his subordinates. He had to know where this scent came from. Typically, he didn’t care much for flowers, but this particular scent caught his undivided attention. The alpha in him rose from the surface of his subconscious with a low purr. He suddenly felt nostalgic, as if he returned to his hometown for the first time in years. Nothing mattered to him anymore except the unknown source of the fragrance.

His senses brought him to a small house in the far corner of the town. It’s a wonder how it managed to stay intact given its current condition. Half of the roof shingles were missing. The wooden exterior looked worn and terribly repainted in several shades of brown. One of the windows had a large hole in it. The building has seen better days and threatened to collapse if another storm rolled by.

Contrasting the dull and dilapidated building was a small colorful garden situated underneath the broken window. Sephiroth knelt by the various flowers and sniffed, trying to match the very scent that brought him here. His gloved hand picked a golden flower and brought it to his face. It reminded him of something, or someone.

“Uh, can I help you…?”

Sephiroth stood and almost dropped the flower in surprise upon gazing into beautiful sky-blue eyes. A young man with hair as gold as the flower rested his pale arms on the windowsill. The breeze around them brushed his spiky bangs to the side and the soldier picked up the scent again—this time, much stronger.

The stranger’s eyes narrowed as they lingered on his uniform. “A soldier…” he whispered.

As if snapped from his trance, Sephiroth lowered his hand and said, “Yes.”

“W-What do you want?”

“I am here on a mission. Do not worry, we won’t harm to the residents.” He handed the flower to the young man, who carefully plucked it from his fingers.

“What mission?” he asked before sniffing the flower.

Usually, he would say that the details of the mission were confidential, but considering that he was assigned to a low-rank mission for the first time in years, the safety of discussing his basic task to a stranger wouldn’t cause problems. “We’re looking for omegas.”

The blond froze in place upon hearing the word ‘omega.’ _The Shinra Rule._

Sephiroth sensed his nervousness and tilted his head to the side. “Are you housing any omegas?” Trained to spot undercover spies, he knew when someone lied, or prepared to lie based on similar expressive cues.

“N-No…”

“Hmph.” He didn’t feel convinced.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, the blond dropped the flower and slowly stepped away from the window. “There are no omegas here!” He slammed it shut without another word.

With a sigh, he shook his head and approached the nearby front door. He stepped inside the old home and found the stranger wrapping a blanket around his disheveled form.

“Go away!”

“Sir, I am under strict orders that I return with stray omegas.” Sephiroth looked around the small home, frowning when the scent practically wrapped around him. His canines began throbbing and a low growl reverberated past lips. He quickly covered his mouth in shock, wondering if his rut cycle came earlier than predicted.

The faint green glow of the mystery soldier’s eyes intensified. The young man shuddered and wrapped the blanket tighter around his body. A pink tint graced his cheeks as he said, “Oh, that’s right, you guys are alphas…” _This is bad._

Closing his eyes, he forced himself to ignore the scent. Something wasn’t right in this house. How in Gaia’s name did an omega’s scent arouse him? All his life, the Science Department trained him to resist omegas. But at this very moment, a sweet floral scent was enough to completely dismantle a lifetime’s worth of training. “Where is she?” he muttered behind his hand.

He frowned. “She?”

Lowering it, he said, “I can smell an omega. Where is she?”

_Oh, that’s right… _“She…” he trailed off in thought, “…is out at the town market.”

_Lies. _“How long has it been since she left the house?”

“About twenty minutes or so.”

Another growl and Sephiroth’s heavy footsteps brought him closer to the blond. “Listen,” he ignored the sweat forming on his brow, “I do not know what is going on, but I can practically _taste_ her pheromones.” Twenty minutes was more than enough time for the scent to dissipate in the natural air. Yet Sephiroth could hardly stand as pleasure ran up his spine.

The stranger took a few steps back until he bumped against the wall. “I-I don’t w-want any trouble, okay? She’s not here.”

His steps never faltered as he approached him again and slammed his hands on either side of his head. Glaring down at the unknown man, the soldier’s lips parted to speak until another wave of the delicious scent forced a shudder from him. “Gods...” Sephiroth found himself staring at the pulse on the stranger’s neck. His canines throbbed again when he leaned forward and sniffed, hearing the quiet moan from beneath him.

The source of the scent was…

Green eyes lingered on the scent gland protruding underneath pale skin. His tongue slowly traced circles around it, feeling it pulse beneath his taste buds and excreting more pheromones that would make a regular alpha go crazy. He growled and moved his tongue all around hot skin. _I must have you._

The man whimpered and dropped the blanket to grab his coat. “P-Please,” he whispered. This wasn’t supposed to happen!

Snapping out of his lustful daze, Sephiroth grabbed his chin, forcing the stranger to look at him. “_You’re _the omega…?” A _man_?

He bit back a moan and gazed into glowing green depths. “It’s… my last day in heat.”

Drowning in those beautiful sky-blue eyes, he forced himself back and brought an arm to his nose. Speaking, breathing, and even _thinking _suddenly became a challenge. But how? Omega scents should no longer affect him like this. “I must bring you back to Midgar,” he said, surprised that his voice didn’t shift from the overwhelming scent.

The alpha’s pheromones grew stronger with every passing minute, coaxing more slick to soak through the omega’s pants. The blond slid down the wall and rested his head on his knees. “I can’t…” he murmured, shuddering when he heard another low growl. “If I leave, I will cause problems.” _I don’t want to start anything weird. _He prayed that the alpha just disappeared and never bothered him again.

He’s right. There’s no way Sephiroth could bring an omega in heat back to the den of alphas. Instead, there were two options: wait it out, or mate with him. If he chose the latter, he could potentially put the stranger under heat pause, where an alpha’s seed can satiate an omega long enough to transfer him to Midgar before the next ‘heat wave.’ The only risk factor was a temporary pause could turn into a _nine month_ pause…

The logical route would be to choose the first option, but his inner alpha became intrigued by the thought of potentially claiming an unpaired omega. Such a cute, pure little blond did not belong to anyone else but him. “You’re—” Biting his gloved hand, he continued fighting the urges. _Mine. All mine._ The omega’s pheromones were not helping, let alone the blasted heat cycle.

“Leave…” the stranger stretched his legs and glanced down at the wet spot in his tented pants. A weird, tingly sensation flowed from his lower belly, causing him to idly rub hot skin beneath his shirt. Each time he inhaled the alpha’s scent, the feeling coursed through his body, forcing another moan to escape.

_Vanilla._

Sephiroth’s mind dulled into static and he no longer restrained his primal urges as he approached the squirming omega. Eyes blazing brightly in the dimly lit room, he knelt before him and spread quivering thighs wide enough to crawl between them and end this suffering with a kiss.

Hard kisses devouring moans, hands wandering over damp skin, Sephiroth never expected to indulge in the pleasures of flesh with a stranger. Though many people assumed he never sought out bed partners, he was not unfamiliar to sex. Men, women, he did not care, for he will seek out the most trustworthy of humans to satisfy his basic needs. However, an omega was never on his list. In all his thirty years of existence, not once did he succumb to an omega’s spell.

Until now.

The young blond broke the kiss with a loud moan and fell back on the floor, pulling the alpha down with him. Strong hands easily ripped his pants and tossed the torn material somewhere to the side. The beautiful man above him removed his gloves with his teeth and ran warm fingers down his stomach, lightly touching the head of his cock. “Hah…” the stranger panted and arched his back when a finger circled his entrance. _Alpha, do what you want with me. Fill me. Claim me. Breed me. _

Sephiroth wasted no time sliding two fingers inside, groaning against the man’s neck each time he heard the suggestive sounds from his movements. “So wet…” _And all mine._

For the first time ever in his adult life, the blond will finally experience an alpha giving him pleasure. Previous heat cycles came and went without much satisfaction. Now, the thought of an alpha calming his heat-induced lust was enough to make his inner omega eager for more. He tugged at the soldier’s coat, whimpering and silently gazing at him with pleading eyes. _Skin. I want skin._

As if reading his mind, he hastily removed his clothes and settled back between trembling thighs. Breathing in the floral scent, the alpha nuzzled his neck and whispered, “Mine.” His canines throbbed again upon reaching the scent gland. All it took was one bite—one bite to make the little blond his mate.

The omega covered his neck when he felt teeth graze his gland. “Not yet,” he murmured. He wasn’t ready to be paired, let alone with a stranger.

By that simple command, Sephiroth collected himself with a heavy sigh. “Sorry,” he replied before kissing plush lips. He took that moment to press his hard cock against the dripping hole. He groaned and tossed his head back, grinding and coating his erection with copious amounts of slick.

Moaning, the blond rolled his hips. “A-Ah! _Please_!” He couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted to feel _everything_ from this man. The lingering traces of doubt left his mind when he finally allowed lust to wash over him.

Growing impatient, Sephiroth pushed inside and almost came right then and there from tight heat gripping his cock. Hands curled into fists from either side of the blond’s head, and his eyes carefully watched the omega’s expressions. His silver hair slid past his shoulders and on the floor near the omega’s head, who turned his head towards soft strands.

“Nngh!” He immediately grabbed toned forearms and adjusted to the large intrusion. Gods, he was so big… so fucking big… the blond wasn’t sure if he could fit because the pain was incredible. But the alpha’s scent—his scent was enough to keep him content and focus on the reward of otherworldly pleasure.

Not willing to wait for him to adjust, the alpha set about a slow pace. He closed his eyes as the hot entrance gripped his cock like a vice, making it slightly more difficult to move.

The blond could only whimper and expose his neck as an act of submission. He felt pain and pleasure from the alpha’s thrusts, and hoped the pain eventually dulled. He felt so full and exposed, but honestly loved it all, loved the fact that an alpha was here to end his suffering. He feebly moved his hips in time with the man’s movements and felt hands drag his arms over his head, trapping him in place.

Sephiroth didn’t hesitate to go deeper. Growling, he looked at the omega’s flushed face and said, “That’s it,” he coaxed, lowering his head to lick his neck, “submit to me.” The omega was so soft and wet inside. His pace increased as he felt less resistance, wondering if this was his first time.

“M-More…”

The alpha didn’t protest as he sped up his pace, loving the sound of their hips slapping as he fucked him as hard as he could. The little blond was so wet that the friction from his cock made dirty, yet tantalizing sounds. Sephiroth never slowed his thrusts as he took a nipple into his mouth and bit down hard enough to elicit a cry from his lips. He enjoyed the stifled moans and grunts with the snap of his hips, and cursed when his orgasm threatened to rise sooner than expected.

The omega whimpered and squeezed hands that still held him down. His body was so hot that he could barely breathe. The alpha’s mouth traveled towards his neck and sucked his scent gland. He shuddered and wrapped his legs around the man’s waist, squeezing his thighs and smiling at the low groan against his skin. “I’m…” he panted and arched his back when his cock began twitching, signaling his orgasm.

Lifting his upper body, Sephiroth adjusted the blond’s legs lower on his waist and grabbed his hips. His thrusts began again, faster and harder to where he wanted nothing more than to follow his omega into bliss. He smirked and looked down at him, saying, “If only…” he tossed his hair behind his back, “I was in rut….” _I’d knot you and make you officially mine._

Never experiencing the sensation of an alpha’s knot, yet wishing it would happen, the blond came before he could reply. “Ah! Gods!” he cried, hips shaking with each orgasmic tremor. His cum splashed on his lower abdomen and stomach. With each thrust from the alpha, more cum landed on his body. _You’re gonna milk me dry._

Gritting his teeth in a snarl, he felt the omega clench around his cock and never stopped thrusting. Each time he pushed inside, more slick trickled out of the omega’s hole, the sweet scent enticing him to never stop. Sephiroth’s senses went on overdrive and he let out a loud groan when he felt his cock ejaculate inside of the blond.

The omega felt hot cum flood his insides and sighed in content. “Mm…” Opening his blue eyes to slits, he gave the alpha a small smile and whispered, “Thank you.”

_Beautiful. _Green eyes roved over his disheveled form and he brought a hand to brush back golden strands. The alpha planted a light kiss on his omega, silently wishing they had more time together. Lips parting to speak, he frowned when the omega slowly closed his eyes. In slight panic, Sephiroth searched for a pulse and let out a relieved sigh when he felt a faint throb beneath his fingertips.

Heat pause. Now was the perfect chance to bring him back to the city.

Sephiroth studied the omega once again, wiping away the sweat across his brow. The alpha within longed to take advantage of the stranger’s vulnerability and claim him before another alpha marred his perfect skin. But he knew what would happen if he paired with an omega without Shinra’s approval. 

Just who are you?

* * *

First Class Soldier Zack Fair stared at the message on his phone with disgust. Angeal, his mentor, placed a hand on his shoulder and said, “I know.”

“Not again…” he shook his head and flipped his phone shut, debating if he should throw it against the wall.

“We have to follow Shinra’s orders, Zack.”

“Yeah, fuck an omega while she’s in heat and hope I’m a dad!” he sarcastically cheered. “I don’t want to be miserable for the rest of my life.”

Angeal completely understood his mentee’s words as Genesis said the same thing. His childhood friend tried every possible method to avoid the mating schedule. He conveniently took on extra missions, feigned illness, or simply did not show up. His attempts irritated Shinra to where his next schedule will be to mate with two omegas in heat.

Genesis retaliated by pairing with Angeal. They weren’t sure if it would work, but the second he sat in the room with omegas writhing on the bed and begging for his seed, the First felt absolutely no desire.

_Fuck you, Shinra._

Angeal sighed and said, “You aren’t the only person who feels that way.”

“Why haven’t they realized that nobody wants to do this, save for the crazy people?”

“You know why. Have you met the new recruits? Most of them are betas.”

Zack frowned. “They deserve the right to enlist if they want. Just because alphas can perform better on the battlefield doesn’t mean that betas can train themselves to be equally good.”

The man smiled and nodded. “With your way of thinking, I hope the next generation of soldiers will learn to push aside their classist beliefs.” One of the things Angeal hated about Soldier were the constant remarks that betas will always be the lesser class. Not many betas make it to First, simply because of Heidegger’s disdain towards them. With most of the executive board of Shinra Company comprising of alphas, the right for betas to climb the ranks remained a challenge for them.

“Yeah, but it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m now required to… mate…” Just saying that word made him feel sick. The last woman he was assigned to cried the entire time. Her heart belonged to a beta male, she explained, and she prayed to the gods that she didn’t get pregnant by any of the alphas. Last Zack heard, she was not pregnant. Kunsel informed him of a rumor that omegas were secretly buying birth control pills from a supplier in the slums. Some even risked their health by using heat suppressants. Zack understood the desperation to avoid getting pregnant by a stranger, but to constantly fuck random soldiers every month had to be mentally exhausting on those who already loved another alpha, or beta.

Omegas deserved the right to choose their mates too...

Angeal patted him on the shoulder. “Just get it over with or else you’ll end up like me where I have to constantly report to the Science Department about the strength of my bond.” Heidegger wanted an excuse to rub in their faces that alpha-alpha bonds were pointless. However, after several years, neither men felt any desire towards another omega.

Zack rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “I’d rather do that than stick my dick in someone who cries for another man...”

“Yikes.” He grimaced. “I remember plenty of those incidents.”

“Hey, Angeal. When you bonded with Genesis, did you feel anything different?”

“Hmm…” he scratched his chin. “Not anything significant but I feel extremely calm when he’s near me.”

“You’d think it’d be the opposite,” he muttered.

The burly man chuckled and ruffled his hair. “It’s like some sort of spiritual marriage. But our minds are closely tied and I can feel what he feels. There are times where our bond weakens after an argument, but the gratuitous make-up sex…” he paused and laughed. “Anyway, I feel closer to him.”

“I’d like that someday, but not in this manner with the schedule. I wish the company somehow allowed us to date the omegas first before they get to decide if the feelings are mutual.”

“Pitch the idea to the PR team. They’ll welcome that faster than the absurd requests of allowing unpaired alphas into Paradise Sector.” Paradise Sector was the nickname for the designated omega sector. Several alphas claim that if one walks near the area at certain times of the day, they could smell a variety of pleasant omega scents.

“Are they still doing that?” he asked with his hands on his hips.

“Unfortunately.”

Zack sighed in defeat. “Welp, I guess it’s time for me to pack my bags and get ready for this mating thing… _again._” He noticed that he’s been chosen more frequently and knew it had to do with the lack of alpha soldiers. Betas weren’t even considered to be on the list for obvious reasons.

Angeal carefully watched the somber expression on his face. “At least it’s for three days. Imagine if the heats lasted a week?”

“I would die,” he said.

“Always remember that there may be an omega out there for you.”

A part of him wanted to believe his mentor. “You know Angeal, I sometimes think you’re right, but I’m so jaded at this point that I’m tempted to call Sephiroth and ask if he wants to be a pair.”

“You know what he would say to that.”

“Yeah, yeah, because he’s the Company favorite and all…”

The older First crossed his arms over his chest. Maybe he could convince Sephiroth to do it, even if it would piss off Shinra. But since the man was deliberately trained to be unaffected by omegas, a bond with an alpha wouldn’t hurt anybody. He will talk to his friend when he came back from his mission.

Zack later arrived at the company rooftop, waiting for one of the Turks to fly him to a remote nesting site. In the past, omegas mating with alphas within Midgar caused a lot of problems; mainly the heat cycle scents were strong enough to arouse alphas from as far as the outer skirts of the city. The President bought land far away from the densely populated city in hopes that few to no alphas would disturb mating Soldiers.

The First grumbled in annoyance and scratched the back of his head. This semi-new rule was still weird to him. When it was first issued to the public, only one alpha was assigned to the omega in heat. But the President wanted to increase pregnancy chances and sent one alpha per heat day. Zack really considered forming a pair with Sephiroth the more he thought about the President’s crazy breeding fantasy. Although he wasn’t as close to the Seph compared to Genesis and Angeal, he could at least mention that he was trustworthy enough to relieve rut cycle symptoms. Maybe, just maybe, now was a good time to seal their friendship as an alpha pair. Sephiroth suspected that his best friends’ unusual bond were due to their early childhood closeness. If the Soldiers from Banora weren’t childhood friends, would their bond be as strong?

“Come oooon!” Zack exclaimed as he began pacing. He wanted to get this over with.

A helicopter landed on another pad and several people jumped out of the transportation. He made a sound of surprise when he spotted Sephiroth hopping out of the helicopter completely shirtless and carrying what looked to be a body wrapped in his trench coat.

Blond hair?

The helicopter’s rotor blades were strong enough to push back the collar of the trench coat and expose the hidden person’s face. The First felt his heart skip several beats when he recognized the stranger right away.

“Huh? Cloud?!” he exclaimed.

A Turk brushed past him with a pat on the back. “Time to go, Zack.”

With a lingering stare at Sephiroth carrying the familiar man, the First let out an annoyed huff and followed the suited man. There’s no way that’s Cloud. He vanished from home seven years ago.


	2. Chapter Two

“And then _Heidegger _of all people thought that it was best if Steve took the lead, even though he was the one who originally put _me_ on command.”

Genesis paced back and forth behind his couch, fuming over his recent mission. Sephiroth sprawled on the couch completely devoid of his trench coat. He stared at the ceiling, barely paying attention to his companion’s rant while twirling his finger through his hair. “Hm.”

He tossed his hands in the air. “It gets better! Remy decided that _he_ was suddenly the boss and commanded all of the thirds to go out there before I could clear the area. Who in Goddess’s name gave him the right to just try to take over my job and blindly send a bunch of betas out there?!”

Silver strands landed on his arm and he let out a sigh, never blinking. He wondered if the omega was okay after leaving him in the Science Department. Did he get plenty of sleep? Did they already move him to Paradise Sector? Either way, the infamous black trench coat he left with the blond should warn any rotten alphas to avoid his omega. “Hm.”

“_I_, for one, believe that it was a complete waste of time to send me out in that filthy place in the first place! If people were going to just make decisions without first running them through their superiors, then might as well let them be stupid and die. Natural selection needs to run its course through this company anyway!”

Sephiroth twirled his finger around his hair, still in deep thought. “Hm.”

Genesis frowned and stopped pacing. “I also found out that I am pregnant with your child.”

“Hm.”

“Angeal shoved his Buster Sword up my ass—” he clucked his tongue and walked around the couch, glaring down at his friend. “Are you even _listening_ to me?!” He brought his hands together with one loud clap.

Sephiroth snapped out of his daze and glared back at him. “What is it?” he asked.

Genesis casually sat in his lap and brought his hands to Sephiroth’s face. Leaning closer, he whispered, “Will you please tell me what happened to your coat?” When a shirtless Sephiroth waltzed into his apartment, he immediately thought it was for a rut-induced night of pain and pleasure. Instead, his friend sighed and collapsed on the couch, burying his head in his hands and not responding to any of his questions.

Although Sephiroth was known for his aversion to any casual touch—apart from his rut cycle—he grew accustomed to Genesis’s flirtatious nature. “No,” he said.

With a roll of his eyes, he asked, “Are you going to tell me what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing is bothering me.”

His friend typically didn’t let things bother him, but with his current mood all afternoon, _something _had to be bugging him. “You know that’s a lie.”

He sighed again. “What do you want, Gen?”

“Answers,” he replied. “There’s a rumor going around that you walked back here carrying someone wrapped in your coat. You never do something that romantic.”

“Hmph.” Leave it to Genesis to hear everything whispered within company walls. “Perhaps I wanted to be heroic for a change.”

He planted a kiss on his forehead. “You think I’ll let that shit of an excuse slide?”

“There’s nothing for me to say other than please get off me.”

“You’re no fun…” The First gracefully sat at the other end of the couch and shot him a pointed look as feet playfully landed in his lap. “You’re still no fun.”

Grinning, he rose to a sitting position with his legs crossed. With his elbow placed on the arm rest, he casually rested his head in his hand, tossing his hair back to give his friend an amused side-eye. “Do you feel better after venting about the Second Class betas?”

So he _was _listening. Genesis rolled his eyes and waved the question away. “Seph, just tell me if something is bothering you.”

“It’s nothing. I’m in a mood, as Angeal likes to say.”

None of his words satisfied his curiosity. Instead, he will have to drop more gossip stories until his beloved friend reacted to one of them. “Speaking of Angeal, he told me that Zack wants to attempt the alpha bond with you.”

He shook his head. “He knows I can’t do that.”

“Yes, but considering how he’s constantly chosen for the wretched mating schedule, he’s trying to find a way out.”

That made Sephiroth fully look at him. “He was picked _again_?” Normally, the mating schedule was spaced out for everyone. But if he mentally calculated the number of times Zack was picked, it’s happening every _two weeks._ Either Shinra found more omegas or… “Heidegger wants him to start a family.”

“Yep.”

“I understand his frustrations but I cannot afford to anger Shinra.” Plus, he wasn’t sure if the bond would work. They weren’t as close as Genesis and Angeal.

“You won’t, Seph. All you have to do is make Zack yours and then you two can go about your day.” Genesis shrugged. “After all, it’s not like you are attracted to omegas, so I don’t see why this would be a big deal.”

Sephiroth was once again reminded of the cute blond. For the past several hours he thought of nothing else but him. He remembered his soft sighs and that sweet, sweet smell that caressed his nostrils and almost drove him to his rut cycle. Sephiroth heard stories of omegas influencing alpha ruts, but thought they were myths_. _During his briefing with Heidegger, he recalled everything that happened with the omega. Heidegger was perplexed over the fact that he couldn’t resist an omega in heat.

The First narrowed his eyes. Oh, something _definitely _happened. “Now that I let out my frustrations,” he shifted on the couch. “how was _your_ mission today?”

After his encounter, he cleaned up the omega and brought him back to his squadron. The beta soldiers wanted to confirm the stranger’s genetics with a blood test. Their offer was quickly shot down from a snarl followed by violent threats if anyone came near his blond mate. He remembered nuzzling the omega and hissed at anyone who tried to sit near them on the ride back to Midgar. “I’d rather not discuss that pointless mission.”

The First almost choked on his spit when he saw the faint pink tint on pale cheeks. Sephiroth didn’t _blush_ unless in the throes of passion. “By the way, I couldn’t help but notice the afterglow you have going on.” 

“Perhaps it’s the mako.”

“You really want to drag this out, huh?”

“Not really.”

Genesis narrowed his eyes. “Sephiroth doesn’t fall into deep thought after a mission.” He scooted closer to him. “What _happened_, Seph?”

“Gen—"

He held up a hand. “What you tell me won’t leave this room.”

At the invitation to confess, he told them everything that transpired from the moment he stepped foot into Nibelheim all the way to bringing the blond back to Midgar. When he finished, he carefully watched the inquisitive expression on his face. “Well?”

Instead of feeling surprised over the fact that Sephiroth finally initiated sex while not in rut, he wanted to know more about this mysterious omega. “Why don’t I smell him on you?” Despite the alpha bond with Angeal, he could still tell the difference between an unmated omega and vice versa. Shinra wanted to send him on fetch quest missions but he told them he would quit if they even thought to demote him to teenage chores.

“Before I arrived at your apartment, I took a long shower.” He left the Science Department and caught several alphas staring at him with flared nostrils. Sephiroth made sure to scrub his skin as hard as he could.

Genesis tried to find another possible reason but drew a complete blank. “I think because this omega is male, you had a difficult time. I don’t know much about omega biology, but you’ve only been trained around female omegas, right?”

He nodded. “I thought so too. This is my first time ever encountering a male omega, but something about him triggered a deep… _longing_. I wanted to bind him to me the entire time we had sex.”

“Hm,” Genesis leaned back on the couch. “Did you do it?” When his friend shook his head, he said, “Maybe he’s one of those one rare omegas who had a specific pheromone that affected you.”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “The only thing I’m concerned about now is a possible pregnancy.” The omega said it was his last day in heat, but Sephiroth didn’t want to assume anything.

“What would you do if you knocked him up?”

“Drown myself in a mako reactor.” He did not want to think about becoming a father. Sephiroth was happy as a bachelor.

Genesis stood and walked towards the kitchen. “Well, I’ll be on the lookout for a mini-Sephiroth. Make sure to name him after me.” _Finally, I can be the hot uncle._

“If I don’t hear anything after a month then I’m safe.” Though, anxiously waiting to get the phone call from the Science Department will be mentally taxing.

“A _scandal_!” The First shouted from the kitchen.

“Please don’t spread anything.”

“You know I won’t tell anyone except Angeal.”

“Of course.”

Later, Genesis returned to the living room with two mugs of tea. “I think you should visit him before he’s locked away in Paradise Sector.”

Eyes slightly wide, he stared at his friend as he cautiously took one. “You’re joking.”

“See if you still react to him the same way when he’s not in heat," Genesis elaborated before sitting next to him. “If you don’t then that means his heat cycle pheromones are unique and you should avoid him at all costs. However, if you _do_, then perhaps it is fate.”

Sephiroth frowned. “A fated pair?” Those were just legends in the romance books, right?

“Fated pair, soulmates, whatever.” He took a sip of his tea and looked satisfied with the taste. “There were a few alphas who found their fated pairs, though I can only think of three who have.”

He will take a look at the Data Room later. Surely Hojo or Gast have documents regarding this strange phenomenon? With a shake of his head, he brought the mug to his lips, but paused when he caught a whiff of the same floral scent that reminded him of the omega. “What flavor is this?”

“Jasmine.”

Jasmine flowers. The omega smelled like jasmine flowers. “I’ll try to stop by the Science Department after I do some research.” _And test the theory myself._

* * *

The omega woke to bright lights practically blinding him. Groaning, he raised a hand over his eyes and slowly rose from the bed.

_Where am I_? _And why am I naked?_

No pictures, windows, or anything resembled his home; just a black metal door that clashed with the off-white walls. Last time he stayed in a room like this was when—

Oh, that’s right, he met the soldier and then they… He sniffed the air when the familiar scent wafted around him. Blue eyes wandered to the pile of black leather next to him. Curious, he rubbed his nose on the material, smiling when he immediately recognized it as the vanilla scent that belonged to the silver-haired soldier. A purr reverberated in his chest and he held the coat to his nose.

_ Ah, my alpha…_

He blushed and lifted a hand to his neck, letting out a relieved sigh when he didn’t feel any teeth imprints. Most alphas who encounter an omega in heat go crazy; but something was different about that silver-haired man. He had a _lot_ more self-control compared to other soldiers.

Flashbacks to green eyes gazing into his very soul forced the blond to shake his head in embarrassment. His first time with an alpha wasn’t as horrible as people made it out to be. It all happened too fast, but maybe, just maybe they could have more time together if they cross paths again.

The metal door opened and a man in a white lab coat stepped into the room. “Ah, you’re awake,” his gravelly voice echoed in the desolate room. The man adjusted his glasses as he skimmed over pages on the clipboard. “The omega from Nibelheim, correct?”

The blond nodded and tried to calm his heart beating rapidly against his chest. “Yes.”

“What is your name?”

“…C-Cloud.”

“Specimen C it is,” he muttered before writing something on a page.

“Wh-What’s going on? Where am I?” he frantically looked around the room again, trying to figure out why paranoia seeped into his brain. The man in front of him didn’t look like a threat, but his scent reminded him of an alpha.

“You were brought to Midgar by Sephiroth. Do you not remember?”

He blinked and tilted his head to the side. “Seph…?” Did he mean the silver-haired man? His name was Seph… iroth? The alpha-soldier, “Sephiroth,” he whispered. A small smile appeared on his lips and he closed his eyes, bringing the coat to his nose again. Repeating the name over and over caused Cloud to react with glee.

The scientist carefully studied the blond’s reaction and wrote a few more notes down. _Shows signs of joy when Sephiroth is mentioned. _“How were you able to manipulate my greatest creation?”

Cloud’s infatuation was quickly gone the moment he heard the question. “Huh?”

“He is trained to resist all omega pheromones. Yet you were able to bring him to his knees. How?”

Glancing off to the side, he brought his fingers to his bottom lip and felt a blush form. “It wasn’t intentional…” In fact, he tried to stop the soldier before things got a little… _hot_.

The scientist remained silent as several theories came to mind. “Hm. I’ll have to run some tests.”

“Tests?”

He waved the question away. “I have to do my usual physical evaluation, but I will need extra samples of your blood.”

Bl…Blood? “Uh, I d-don’t know if I can handle that.”

“If you make this difficult, you’ll regret it.”

He brought his knees to his chest. “How long have I been here?”

“You’ve been asleep for twenty-four hours, eleven minutes, and forty-nine seconds. I didn’t think a heat pause lasted this long.”

“Huh?!” he looked off to the side in thought. How was that possible? Most heat pauses lasted at most four hours… “Actually, yesterday was my last day in heat.”

He brought a hand to his chin. “Ah, then maybe it ended right after intercourse and there was no need for another flare up.” He turned around. “I still have to conduct a pregnancy test next month. It would be a shame if my greatest creation became corrupted by a low life omega.”

The blond completely ignored the insult when he forgot about what came _after _all the fun. The odds of pregnancy were greatly reduced given that their cycles weren’t synchronized. But the fact that he was technically in his fertile window when they had sex will torment him for the next month. Gods, if he actually got knocked up after a one-night stand, he would hate himself. He wasn’t ready to become a parent. At twenty-one years old, he barely knew how to socialize with others, let alone know how to raise a child. What would the alpha say if it happened? Would he be overjoyed, or angry?

Later, after being poked with random medical instruments and questioned about his entire childhood, Cloud was ready to take a long nap. Now wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants, he turned his back to the door while resting on his bed. He said several times that he hated blood and needles. The men in white coats ignored his pleas and performed the physical examination. At least they allowed him to keep Sephiroth’s trench coat and he took advantage of his blessed alone time by inhaling the vanilla scent. 

The metal door opened again and Cloud rolled over to glare at one of the vampire scientists. “What?”

He held a digital bracelet in his hand. “Now that you are entered into the system, you are required to wear this at all times.”

“What is it?” he cautiously watched the man kneel in front of him.

“Every omega that enters the city will wear a custom bracelet that tracks their vitals and movements. It’s quite handy since we cannot keep an eye on your group at all times.” He snapped the bracelet around the blond’s ankle and held another device next to it. “I’m calibrating this technology to record your basal temperature based on your examination results. When your next heat arrives, it will send a message to our system to send you off as soon as possible.”

His greatest fear came true. Now he was nothing more than a glorified breeding chocobo waiting for his next mate. At this point, he would be okay with the idea of getting pregnant by Sephiroth since it would end this horrible new life. If he had to wait for his next heat and mate with _another _complete stranger, he will lose his mind. “What about taking a shower, or if I get sick?”

“It’s damage-proof and we’ll know if you have an illness.” His brown eyes gazed up at the omega. “We’ll also know if you sneak an alpha in your bedroom.”

A blush formed on his cheeks when he understood the hint. “Th-That’s not happening anytime soon.”

An hour after the scientist left, Cloud heard the door open again. Groaning in his sleep, he rolled over to his side and froze in place when the least expected person on the entire plant stood by his bed staring down at him. Vanilla permeated his nostrils and the blond couldn’t help but shiver.

Sephiroth spent most of his day in the Data Room seeking answers about the fated pair myth, but found nothing in Gast or Hojo’s reports. However, there were a few reports mentioning ‘astounding’ alpha-omega pairs that didn’t elaborate much on what made them ‘astounding.’ Frustrated at hitting another dead end with this peculiar omega, he wondered if Genesis planted another fake idea in his head out of boredom. “We meet again,” he said.

Cloud forgot how to breathe. All he could see were those mako eyes illuminating the dark room. “It’s you…”

“I’m sorry.”

Was the apology for what happened yesterday, or— “Why did you bring me here?” He sat up and patted the seat next to him.

“If I didn’t, who knows when the next soldier would appear?”

“…” Cloud hated that he was right.

Sephiroth quietly sat next to the omega, vaguely aware of his extra trench coat stuffed beside the pillow. When his gloved hand brushed away blond strands, the stranger rubbed his cheek against his palm. “What is your name?” he whispered, stifling the desire burning in his chest.

“Cloud…” he knew the answer to his question, but, “and yours?”

“Sephiroth.”

He smiled, sad that he couldn’t see much of his face outside of the green cat-like eyes. “It suits you.”

“Likewise, Cloud.”

Breath hitching, the blond felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “Th-thanks…”

Genesis’s words from last night echoed in his mind. So far, his attraction to the omega wasn’t as intense as before, but the ever-growing desire almost became unbearable when he smelled the lovely scent once again.

Jasmine.

Cloud didn’t protest when the alpha closed the distance between them. He felt a throb between his legs when a nose touched his neck. The blond gasped and closed his eyes, rubbing his face against Sephiroth’s shoulder. He was warm, so very warm; and smelled like vanilla— a far too common scent for a man as ethereal as the alpha named Sephiroth. Cloud’s conscious warned him to push the silver-haired man away, but when they kissed again it became difficult to fight with his rationale.

Just like before.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled in Sephiroth’s chest as he felt the blond rub his nose against his scent gland while climbing into his lap. A loud gasp could be heard from the smaller man as large hands maneuvered his legs around his waist. Cloud fell back on the bed, bringing Sephiroth with him as they kissed and caressed every part of each other’s body.

Sephiroth loomed over Cloud, taking in the sight of beautiful blue eyes. “Say my name, Cloud.” Only his name would escape the omega’s lips whenever he spoke of an alpha. Nobody was allowed to have him; no alpha would corrupt his pure omega.

“Sephiroth.” Cloud moaned at the heated gaze coming from those green eyes framed by thick lashes. His last sense of reason vanished the longer he gazed into those mako pools. He lifted shaking hands and placed them on each side of his face. “My alpha…” he whispered. As soon as the words escaped his lips, he felt his heart beat even faster.

The silver haired man gave him a long blink and raised one hand to cover trembling fingers. He rubbed his cheek against his soft hand and replied, “My omega.”

“Take me.” _This isn’t right._

He took the invitation by pressing their lips together. He opened his mouth and rubbed his tongue against his plush lips. They parted immediately and he dived inside, caressing and tasting the blond. Sephiroth wanted to devour the blond to his very core. He idly began moving his hips, feeling his erection stir.

Cloud jerked his head back and let out a low erotic sound. He spread his legs even wider, lifting them and planting the heels of his feet on Sephiroth’s lower back covered in leather. The man above him growled in content and licked along his scent gland. He sucked at his neck hard enough to earn a mewl.

Sephiroth could practically taste his arousal. Each sweet sound the omega made along with their grinding ignited his cock to full hardness. The feeling became painful in his leather pants, so he slowly moved his hand between them and tugged at the zipper. “Mine.”

“Please, _please_.” He hated sounding like a needy bitch, but with a gorgeous alpha filling every one of his senses with lust, Cloud didn’t know what was considered right or wrong anymore.

A small smirk graced his attractive features. “As you wish, Cloud.”

Suddenly, the lights came on and two men rushed into the confinement room. “S-Sephiroth?!” a man shouted.

As if cold water was thrown on them, both parties froze in place, snapping out of their lust-filled minds. Cloud’s eyes were as wide as they could go as he watched the man slowly rise up, staring at him with an equally confused expression.

Sephiroth scrambled to his feet, shaking his head over and over. What in gods’ names happened to him? He just… allowed his libido to take over and almost… Looking down at his erection, he quickly zipped his pants and winced when he remembered that leather gave him little freedom. _Damn, you, Genesis. _

The scientist carefully approached him with his hands raised to display innocence. “I came here because the tracker indicated a suspicious body temperature spike,” he explained. This whole time, he thought the omega’s heat somehow came back. He did not expect to find the infamous Sephiroth in the confinement room.

Cloud felt his blush come back. He completely forgot about the stupid anklet. “Sorry…”

Sephiroth shook his head. “I came here to check on the omega. I didn’t anticipate another reaction like this.” He fought not to look at the blond. If he saw those pretty blue eyes again…

The brown-haired man slowly lowered his hands. Sephiroth _never _cared about anyone else outside of his friends. Hojo mentioned that the omega named Cloud would be distracting to Shinra’s beloved soldier. In barely twenty-four hours, Sephiroth already had two sexual encounters with this omega. Fascinating, simply fascinating. “I will have to ask you to leave, Sir. We cannot afford another incident.”

Cloud frowned. Incident…? His hand touched his stomach without a second thought. Oh…

“Very well.” Sephiroth walked out the room without another word. The alpha also realized that if he reacted to an omega in heat, he would react to his normal pheromone levels as well. Silly of him to think that there was innocence behind Genesis’s words.

_I’m going to rip him a new one._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fell in love with writing any interactions between Gen and Seph. <3


	3. Chapter Three

When Cloud arrived to the omega sector, he did not expect to absolutely _hate_ the city life. None of the numerous amenities in the sector did anything to deter the dreary scenery of Midgar. Mako clouds completely covered the sky above, confusing his natural sense of time. The air felt heavy and nothing like the fresh outdoors he was used to since he was a small child. Midgar was nowhere near a comfortable environment that he secretly hoped it would be. At least his new home was nice. Shinra provided every omega with a one-bedroom apartment, equipped with a full kitchen, bathroom, and expensive furniture.

A perfect façade for someone oblivious to Shinra’s stupid rule.

Cloud scowled at the fridge of oddly packaged foods. He preferred colorful garden vegetables and fresh farm meat. Half the shit in the kitchen were canned goods, which made him wonder if Midgar bothered to import their food from places that weren’t polluted with mako reactors. Call him snooty, but if he wanted to live in a place that forced him to get pregnant, he better have the opportunity to spend his final childless days in luxury.

A hand immediately went to his stomach when he thought about the alpha. He didn’t expect another encounter with the man named Sephiroth. One minute, the soldier appeared in his room, the next… Cloud blushed when he vaguely remembered calling him, ‘Alpha.’ He wasn’t sure if it was normal to desire someone so strongly. He thought the heat cycle fiasco was just a one-time thing, but it felt like Sephiroth _wanted_ to see what would happen again. Did he also sense something else between them? Do alphas and omegas typically have a strong connection upon first interaction?

As a child, Cloud assumed he would be a beta, considering that he didn’t have the same level of aggression as Zack. But he never would have guessed that he’d present as an _omega_. The whole town of Gongaga became perplexed when his first heat came. Male omegas were thought to be a myth, until the golden-haired orphan attracted their beloved alpha. Cloud eventually began to hate himself and wished he was never born.

Shaking his head, he bit his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. Wincing from the sharp pain, he let out a tired sigh and walked into the living room. Blue eyes lingered on the black trench coat and he had a giant urge to wrap it around him again. He fought with the men in lab coats because they didn’t want anything related to Sephiroth to be kept with an omega. After several pitiful excuses and resorting to tantrums, Cloud practically skipped out the building while wrapped in Sephiroth’s coat.

But now that he lived in Midgar, that meant Zack was here too.

Cloud felt nervousness boil in his stomach. After all these years of hiding from the world, he was finally able to reunite with him. But how could he locate him without arousing suspicion? During his ride to the sector, he learned that omegas had curfews. Also, unmated alphas were not allowed in the omega sector for obvious reasons. Technically, no one was allowed in without security clearance, and no omegas were given permission outside the sector unless their heat arrived. Cloud wanted to scream when he quickly figured out that he now belonged in a fancy prison.

Did Shinra expect omegas to be content in their luxury apartments while staring at mako reactors all day? Not even the movie theatre, or shopping districts, were enough to skew his opinion of Shinra Company. With a scoff, he wrapped Sephiroth’s trench coat around his form, grinning when he picked up the vanilla scent again. Cloud wished there was a way to easily sneak out of the city without triggering his ankle bracelet alarm. But for now, he will use the faint scent to mask his pheromones while he explored Midgar.

Cloud wandered aimlessly within the sector and gazed up at the giant buildings illuminating the night sky. He thought back to his childhood where he explored hidden areas of Gongaga with Zack. When they separated, the blond continued using his country boy skills to protect himself from strangers. The small town of Nibelheim mostly consisted of mated alphas with beta wives and children. But Cloud never kept his guard down in fear of encountering an unmated alpha. Yet his first interaction with Sephiroth practically nullified his avoidance skills.

Blue eyes spotted a condemned building in a dimly lit area of the sector. His curiosity got the best of him and he climbed into a broken window, careful not to cut his body. He wrinkled his nose at the strange smell and his eye caught another oddly-shaped door situated on the wall. Behind the door was a green-colored hue that briefly reminded Cloud of Sephiroth’s eyes…

The blond lifted the door hatch and crawled inside, staring at the giant mako tube that ran from underneath the house and illuminated a damp and narrow path. Cloud cautiously moved down the unknown walkway, his senses picking up strange noises and scents that grew more pronounced as he approached what looked to be a dead end. Muffled voices became louder, and he found a small exit above him. He carefully climbed out the inconspicuous pathway only to find himself in an… abandoned church? Glancing around, he quickly figured that he found a secret passage to another sector.

The omega walked out of the church, mindful of the flowers situated where the sun peeked through the holes in the roof. Cloud didn’t think the sky existed in Midgar, but since this was the only location with actual sun, he could use the abandoned church as his temporary safe haven.

Cloud found himself in the midst of betas and alphas. He scanned the crowded area and ducked between an old couple as he weaved through the wall of people, not sure where his senses will take him. Alpha scents bombarded his nose, causing him to feel dizzy and use a nearby wall for support. He drew the coat tighter around his shoulders and shuddered from the numerous scents and sounds overwhelming him. The omega blindly followed his inner compass as he dodged the random people, careful to avoid scary-looking men. The blond always taught himself to mingle with the women since none of them found him to be much of a threat. His short, lean stature was often considered a blessing and a curse.

He accidentally bumped into someone, or some men, and froze in place when their scents and soldier uniforms identified them as _alphas_. Fuck.

“Watch it—” a man with dark brown eyes and black hair quirked a brow. “Hey, hey, what do we have here?”

“A cutie!” his companion with chestnut-colored hair muttered.

Cloud immediately threw his hands in front of him and slowly backed himself into the wall of a shop. “I-I’m sorry…”

“Aww, did the little beta get lost?”

The darker-haired man sniffed above Cloud and said, “Wait, you smell like an omega.”

“He must’ve been balls deep if he smells like ‘er.”

“No, it’s too strong to simply be a scent mark.”

“C’mon, man! You’re just going through omega withdrawals!”

Cloud made a run for it, clutching Sephiroth’s coat tighter around his form. Those alphas didn’t even detect Sephiroth’s scent, which made him wonder if he was just more sensitive to the smell.

“Come back, cutie! You owe us an apology!”

“I’ll send you some flowers!” he shouted back, dodging and weaving through the crowds once again. He threw the coat over his golden-colored hair and disappeared in an alley. Cloud stopped breathing when he ducked behind a stack of barrels as the two men rushed by. He slowly let out his breath and cautiously peered around the barrels.

“There he is!”

Cloud whirled around to find the same men on the other side of the alley quickly approach him. He panicked and pushed the barrels towards them before running away again. The omega thought he could get far until he hit a dead end. Slowly turning around, he saw the same soldiers grinning while stalking towards him.

“Keep running, princess. It’ll just make me even harder.”

Silly of him to think that he could outrun alpha soldiers. Cloud swallowed the lump in his throat and grasped the brick wall behind him. Please, gods, just let them do their thing and leave him alone. He prayed to every higher power that someone, _anyone,_ would save him from these lecherous alphas.

* * *

With a tired sigh, Zack flopped onto his bed after a long shower. His twenty-four hour stay with the omega was unusual, to say the least. She also didn’t want to mate with him and asked if he used the condoms she snuck inside the house. Zack was completely okay with the idea until he realized that her heat pause wouldn’t happen unless they _didn’t_ use them. She claimed to have also brought alternatives, such as dildos and vibrators, and promised to call for him when her heat became unbearable. Zack was only called once and it was enough to keep her satiated until his time with her ended. The soldier spent most of his session sharing stories from when he was first enlisted as a soldier. The omega told him that he should listen to his intuition. Even now, Zack still didn’t know what she implied after hearing his story.

The young First rolled to his side and frowned. He completely forgot to ask the woman if she knew Cloud.

The more he thought about that moment on the rooftop, the more he began to believe that his childhood friend was here in Midgar. How did Sephiroth find him so easily? In the early days of Soldier, Zack accepted various missions in remote locations and always wandered around the tiny towns in hopes that he would cross paths with Cloud. He described his dear friend to many strangers, but none of them knew of a blond omega. After four years of nothing, the First gave up his search and focused on climbing the ranks. Though deep down, he never ignored the lingering hope that he would find Cloud again.

Now that Cloud was in Midgar, he should have an easier time locating him. Zack sat on the side of the bed when he tried to think of another way inside Paradise Sector. It would suck major ass if he wasted all his strength beating the shit out of alphas only to mistake a random omega for Cloud. He shook his head. No, there was no doubt that the unconscious man was Cloud.

He instead messaged Kunsel about any secret routes. His friend teased him with horny jokes for several exchanges until he finally mentioned that most alphas snuck in through the slums. He didn’t know anything else about that area outside of what he heard in passing. Grumbling to himself, Zack immediately threw on a pair of black jeans and a grey t-shirt before leaving his home.

One of the weird things about being an off-duty soldier were the indifferent looks he received from the Midgar residents. Most would stare after a couple of sniffs, but others would ignore him and go about their day. If he wore his uniform, the residents would cautiously step aside for him to maneuver through the crowds as if he would hit them for blocking his path. Zack _hated _the fear many people had towards Soldier. He didn’t really care much about the whole ranking thing, unlike his fellow alpha soldiers who saw betas as ‘beneath the alpha’s noses.’

Zack made his way down sector five slums. The place reeked of betas, but it wasn’t unpleasant to him. He’s mostly surrounded by sweaty alphas almost all the damn time, so it was nice to smell different people once in a while. He secretly envied betas for being too normal. They didn’t go into ruts or heats, and they weren’t aggressive or submissive. Most betas obtained ranks as moderators or personal assistants to non-betas, which is why many became Turks when the Soldier Program didn’t work out for them.

Zack stood in front of an apple stand, admiring their colors and feeling his mouth water at the delicious scents. The salesman smiled and offered him one for two gil. The soldier figured a little snack wouldn’t hurt while he browsed around for any secret passages to Paradise Sector. Handing over the gil, he took the shiny red apple and bit it, sad that it was nowhere near as tasty as dumbapples.

He continued looking around at the various stands of fruits, until one unique scent stood out from the rest. Zack frowned and glanced around, ignoring the few stares he received from the betas. Where did that come from? With a sharp inhalation, he closed his eyes and detected the scent once again. The floral scent didn’t belong to any of the fruits in front of him, and there weren’t any flower stands nearby. Just where did it come from, and why did it stand out among the crowd of people?

His nose brought him to two soldiers towering over someone. One man had a fistful of blond hair in a painful grip, but the victim looked strangely like—

_Cloud?!_

Without a second thought, Zack threw his apple at the back of the man’s head.

The soldier cursed and whirled around in annoyance. “What the _fuck_, man!”

“I think you should let him go.” Zack walked towards them, his eyes flickered on Cloud’s weary expression. _It really is you…_

The other man eyed the raven-haired soldier and began to panic upon remembering why he looked so familiar. “You’re that First named Zack!”

Cloud’s bright eyes landed on the man glaring at the two strange alphas. “Z-Zack…” his heart thudded loudly against his chest. Did the gods show mercy on his poor soul?

“Let go of him, _NOW_!” he yelled, baring his teeth and feeling his inner alpha grow furious over these low-ranked _cunts_ touching his omega.

“C’mon, Zack. We’ll let you have a turn if you calm down.”

Eyes blazing an indigo hue, his lips curled into a snarl. “He’s mine and if you lay another greasy finger on him, I’ll make sure Shinra spends an eternity locating your remains.”

“L-Let’s just pass on this one,” the other man stepped away from his friend.

“The little blond is a fucking beta, since when did—” His words were cut short when a fist collided with his face and sent him flying into the wall.

The remaining stranger immediately ran away, leaving his friend behind. “Fuck this! I’m out!”

“Run like the little pissbaby you are, third class punk!” Zack shouted after him as he cracked his knuckles. _That’ll teach you to leave my omega alone!_

Cloud slowly fell to his knees, clutching Sephiroth’s coat tightly to his body. He trembled in fear and bit his lip again until blood seeped into his mouth. _Those men won’t harm me; those men won’t harm me…_

“Cloud.”

The blond slowly lifted his head and watched his childhood friend kneel beside him. “Zack,” he whispered, his eyes watering.

He looked him over and paid close attention to the familiar, black coat covering most of his body. _That can't be... _With a shake of his head, the First immediately lifted him in his arms and kissed him on the forehead. The floral scent filled his nostrils again. “It’s me, Cloudy.” Gods, how he wanted to use that nickname for so long. Crybaby Cloudy will always resonate with him for as long as he lived.

“I’m scared…” he cried before clutching the alpha’s shirt. “I wanna go home…” Cloud buried his head in Zack’s shirt and inhaled a sweet, calming scent. Ah, Sephiroth smelled like vanilla and Zack smelled like honey.

He knew home wasn’t here, but there was no way he could escape with his dear friend so easily. “I’ll take you back to the omega sector.” Cloud needed a safe place to recover from the intensity of today. “Do you know how you got here? Can you remember anything?” 

The blond shook his head. “I only remember a church.”

Zack immediately knew where he meant and left the slums without another word.

The two arrived back to Cloud’s apartment and Zack carefully placed him on the bed. “Let’s get you into something more comfortable.” Omegas constantly needed to feel warm and safe, that he remembered from his classes. He walked to the closet and found a variety of clothes and blankets folded on the shelves. At least Shinra was smart enough to provide extra material for omega nesting activities.

Cloud slowly dropped the trench coat on the bed and began removing his shirt. For a moment, he hesitated at the thought of undressing in front of an alpha. But the alpha was just Zack, not those scary men from earlier. Though, he almost didn't notice the pair of indigo eyes roving over his body.

The First never stopped staring at milky white skin that smelled like roses. The only thing _not_ perfect about him was the bloody bruise on his bottom lip. When they were kids, Zack always found the blond to be adorable, but never desirable. Yet at this very moment, his friend looked absolutely _tempting._

“Zack? You’re staring…”

_I shouldn’t be here. _“S-Sorry. I’m just so happy that I don’t know what to say.” Now that was actually true, but deep down, he felt a strange sense of longing towards the blond. Obviously it’s because they were apart for far too long, not because he wanted to fuck his friend or anything…

“I wish I could be excited, but today is just weird…” he wrapped his arms around his waist.

“How long have you been here?” the First dropped a pile of clothes and a blanket on the bed.

“A couple of days, I think.”

Which meant when he saw Cloud the other day, he was just taken from wherever he lived this whole time. How the fuck did Sephiroth find him so easily? “I know your circumstances are even more bleak, but at least you get food and shelter.”

Cloud drew his knees to his chest. “I don’t like Midgar. It’s too gloomy and suffocating.”

“Yeah, when I first arrived here, I felt sick for an entire week.” Zack sat on the side of the bed near the blond, and maintained his gaze at his friend.

Cloud also noticed that Zack wasn’t as tanned as he remembered. “How long has it been since we last spoke?”

“Seven years, Cloudy.”

He blushed at the nickname. “I’m not a kid anymore, Zack. Please stop calling me that.”

“You will always be my Cloudy; even after everything that happened.”

The blond dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

“We didn’t know, Cloud. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s _not_!” he glared at his friend. “When I presented as an omega, it caused problems for everyone!” The townspeople of Gongaga knew that Zack would present as an alpha. Cloud, on the other hand, got the shit end of the stick and presented as an omega soon after Zack. He will never forget the night Zack stood over his bed, masturbating above him while baring his new canines. Cloud also never forgot those unkind eyes watching him. “We separated after that night. You left for Midgar and I was… locked away until my heat ended.”

Zack looked at him in shock. “They, _locked you _in that cellar?”

Under the mayor’s orders, Cloud’s first heat would be experienced in the underground cellar, where there were no windows, blankets, or anything remotely comforting about that wretched place. The blond spent his first heat cycle in agony. “I wouldn’t think they’d ever turn against me...”

“Mom never told me!” The raven-haired First felt his eyes water. “Cloud…”

“It’s in the past now.” He scooted away from him. “I left afterwards so I wouldn’t cause any problems.”

Now he knew why his parents dodged the questions for months whenever he asked about Cloud. They felt guilty for not protecting the blond when he needed them the most. “Where did you go? I spent _years _looking for you!”

“I hid away in this town called Nibelheim.” Cloud spent his entire teenage years fighting his inner omega. It was until the age of nineteen when he met an old male omega who taught him to accept his rare genetics. The house where Sephiroth found him once belonged to that old man…

“How did Seph find you?”

“Seph?”

“Sorry, Sephiroth.”

Cloud’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”

“I saw him carry you.” He spotted the black trench coat, wondering why Cloud still kept it. “You were wrapped in his coat.”

The blond immediately told Zack everything that transpired when he first encountered Sephiroth. When he finished, he froze upon watching his expression shift from concern to anger.

“He fucked you?” The alpha growled in annoyance and crawled over Cloud, his hands pinning him to the bed. “You let him _touch _you?”

Cloud felt the same dread from earlier creep up his spine. The look on Zack’s face reminded him of the night he presented as an omega. The raw desire was too much to bear, but he became drawn to those beautiful indigo eyes. “Zack, please…” he whispered. _Not again._

The First nuzzled his scent gland, moaning at the thick floral scent coating his senses. “It should have been me who found you,” he muttered. “I spent ages looking for you and now I find out that _Sephiroth_ was your first alpha.”

“I didn’t know this would happen.”

“_And_ there’s a chance you’re pregnant.” Zack stared hard at the squirming omega. “I will kill him before he tries to pair with you.”

The blond bit back a moan. He hated the fact that omegas reacted strongly to alphas’ obsessions over them. Back in the early days of high non-beta populations, alphas fought each other for omega mates. Most would die during battle and the winning alpha claimed the omega before she had the chance to refuse. Even after centuries from the primitive method, omegas were genetically designed to be aroused by threats of violence not directed at them. _I shouldn’t be turned on like this. _“Please don’t. I really like him.”

“He’s not like us alphas, Cloud. He will hurt you.” He shouldn’t even react to omegas in the first place.

“Stop putting weird ideas into my head!” The blond wiggled from his hold and rolled onto his stomach to crawl away. But Zack held him in place by grabbing his hips.

“Where are you going?”

“Away from you!”

Zack snorted. “Babe, you won’t leave this bed while I’m here.” He licked the back of the omega’s neck, nibbling on soft skin. “Gods, you smell so fucking good.”

“ZACK!” Cloud yelled.

Snapping out of his trance, the raven-haired First blinked and shook his head. “Cloud?” He examined their current position and quickly rolled off him. “Oh gods, I’m sorry!”

Bringing a hand to his neck, the shirtless Cloud tore his gaze from his friend. “…”

“I’m really, really sorry!” he ran his hands down his face. “Fucking hell, I’m no different than those other soldiers.” The blond should be nesting, not _threatened_!

The omega realized that a similar event happened with Sephiroth, only that the feelings were mutual. Did Cloud hesitate with Zack because of their close friendship? If that was the case, then why did his friend react to his pheromones so quickly? “Once again, my biology made our friendship difficult.”

“No, Cloud, it’s me!” he placed a hand on his chest. “When you told me Seph was the one who put you in heat pause, I just… lost it.” _I want to be the one to take care of you._

“…Why?”

“You’re special to me.”

His blush came back. “I… I don’t know what to say.”

“This is gonna sound weird but I’ve missed you so much, Cloud,” his voice trembled and he took a moment to collect himself. “After all my efforts, Sephiroth was able to find you in a matter of seconds and…” _I won’t recover if you do end up pregnant. _What bothered him the most was that Seph managed to lose control around an omega, who happened to be Cloud.

The blond frowned at his words. “That’s not weird. I missed you too.”

What Cloud should never know is that Zack’s version of longing was a lot more… _complicated_ than his version. “I should go. I don’t want our genetics to fuck us over again.” He stood and made his way out the bedroom, pausing at the entrance in hope that Cloud would stop him. The second he stepped out of the room, he heard his Cloudy’s sweet voice quietly call his name.

“Do… you want to stay the night?”

Zack sighed in relief, yet kept his back to him. “Is that a good idea?”

“I’m still a little worried those guys would somehow find me. I could really use your company.”

Slowly turning around, he silently watched the beautiful omega kneeling on the bed. “Even after what I just did?”

“I trust you, Zack. I always will.” That night, when Cloud learned he was an omega, Zack stopped himself from forming an unwanted bond. His hand was completely covered in bloody teeth marks. When he immediately left town for Midgar, Cloud knew that no matter how awkward their relationship became, he will always know that Zack would never turn into a crazy alpha. “Our biology makes things complicated, but you will always be my best friend.” After all, they grew up in the same house.

He felt disappointed at the word ‘friend’ and wasn’t sure why. Never in his life did he think Cloud was _more_ than a friend. But considering that he knew him before they presented as non-betas, he was now faced with the challenge of keeping his inner alpha under control around an omega. Out of all the omegas he mated with, Cloud was the first to stir an obsessive desire. And from what he was told, Sephiroth experienced the same thing. “Okay. I’ll stay.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this pretty quickly, so sorry for any typos.

Both men chatted away for several hours about their adventures. Zack found Cloud’s reactions to every emotional moment to be fucking adorable. The blond attentively listened to his stories as a young soldier, wishing he was born an alpha. Travelling around the world for missions and gaining notoriety was a wet dream for many male betas. Cloud, on the other hand, was an omega who didn’t have the luxury to even leave his home without rouge alphas jumping him from the shadows. He envied his best friend for his current rank as a First Class Soldier. Their conversation ended when Zack muttered an apology to a sleeping omega. The First promised to always be there for Cloud and never let him out of his sight again. He cuddled next to the blond and followed him to a deep slumber.

The alpha later opened his eyes and smiled when he found himself completely spooned behind his Cloudy. The scent of roses tore a low growl from his lips as he buried his face into soft, golden strands. Zack didn’t notice his erection until his cock throbbed at the thought of morning sex with the blond. His hips idly grinded against Cloud’s ass.

Fuck. He shouldn’t even be _thinking_ like that.

He fought with his inner alpha to not claim the omega, but this glorious smell and soft skin beneath his wandering hands killed any rational thoughts. With a groan, Zack slowly trailed his hands underneath Cloud’s shirt. His friend whimpered and rolled over to face him. The First almost made a sound of surprise when the blond subconsciously scooted closer to him and pressed into his naked chest.

“Mm…” Cloud quietly moaned.

“Cloud?” he whispered. When no reply came, he continued groping the beautiful omega. _Fuck, why can’t I stop?!_ Cloud better wake up before things got more awkward between them; as if they haven’t had enough weird encounters already.

Deeply inhaling a warm honey scent, blue eyes fluttered open and the blond slowly lifted his head. “Hm?” He blinked at him until a bright sleepy smile formed on his face. “Hi, Zack,” he muttered. Seemed like he wasn’t dreaming about reuniting with his childhood friend.

He let out a relieved sigh, and moved his hands back. “Hey, yourself.” He kissed him on the forehead, thankful that his erection already started to fade.

Until he caught a whiff of roses again.

Cloud slowly sat up, but froze when he felt slight discomfort down below. _Huh?_ He lifted the sheet and widened his eyes when he noticed his tented shorts. Well, this is awkward.

“Your scent is strong,” Zack whispered, his eyes lingering over the lifted sheet.

“Uh…” he blushed and dropped the blanket over his lap. Oh, maybe his erection came after sleeping next to an alpha. “I just need a shower.” Surely, he could take a cold shower before his friend saw anything? He scooted towards the side of the bed and attempted to leave until a hand gripped his arm.

“Where are you goin’, Cloudy?”

The blond stared at him in shock. His heart thudded loudly against his chest when he caught a whiff of Zack’s pheromones coaxing him back in the bed. “S-Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

Cloud yanked his arm out of the soldier’s grip and sat on the side of the bed. His erection never went away, causing him to work harder with his common sense. “You know what I mean.”

The soldier eased over behind the omega, kissing between shoulder blades and not missing the small shudder his friend tried to suppress. With a devious grin, he continued kissing soft skin and pulled Cloud closer to him.

When a tongue trailed up the back of his neck, Cloud let out a moan and angled his head to the side. Zack took the defenseless gesture to graze his teeth against his scent gland, forcing small mewls and soft sighs from his lips. “Zack.”

“I’ve crossed several friendship barriers at this point, Cloud.” He hated himself for succumbing to his libido. Yet, Cloud was _right here _and smelled like _temptation_. “I’m sorry, but I really, really, _really _wanna fuck you.” Is it normal to want to fuck your best friend?

The blond felt his body react to Zack’s confession. He ran his tongue across his upper lip when he tasted Zack’s honey-scented pheromones permeate around them. The omega within purred at the smell and within seconds, Cloud felt his slick form at the thought of another alpha mating with him. “Yes…” he breathed out a heavy sigh when warm hands pinched his nipples.

At his admittance, Zack asked Cloud to turn around. Once their faces were inches apart, he stopped his movements. The reality of touching his friend like a lover caused him to question all remaining morals. Poorly restrained lust led to this moment where their friendship will no longer be smiles and hugs.

Cloud suddenly felt self-conscious and asked in a quiet voice, “I-Is there something on my face?”

Zack shook his head and traced a thumb along his bottom lip, mindful of the small bruise. “I was just thinking that I’ve never touched you like this.”

He wanted to ask, ‘what changed?’ but knew it one-hundred-percent had to do with their biology. There were so many questions to ask, but it was best to save them for later when they weren’t thinking with their cocks. “Then,” he placed his hands on either side of Zack’s face, “now is your chance to try.”

The look on Zack’s face went from restrain to relief in a matter of seconds. He kissed Cloud with passion, pouring what felt like years of bottled emotions into the omega’s soul. Never in his life did he think of softly holding him, kissing along his body and coaxing erotic sounds from these soft lips; never did he perceive Cloud as his _lifeline._ As his hands tightened around a slim waist, Zack prayed that this wasn’t a dream. He didn’t want to wake up and find out that this was just an evil mind trick from his hidden desires.

Cloud moaned while Zack _devoured _him. His hands wandered over Zack’s naked chest as he felt a tongue force its way past his lips. It violated his mouth and touched every part of his orifice that caused his entire body to feel hot. Like with Sephiroth, a foreign sensation tingled in his belly. _I want you. _Zack then latched onto his neck, and licked down his clavicle all the way to his nipple. “Hah…” Cloud tilted his head back and bit his bottom lip. Hands threaded in raven strands when that tongue sent sparks of pleasure straight to his cock.

The First kissed his way even lower and requested that he lay on his back. Indigo eyes flickered in delight when he saw the wet spot between Cloud’s legs. “Gods, you’re hot…”

The omega’s gaze audaciously roamed over the soldier’s muscled chest. Gone were the memories of prepubescent Zack covered in dirt after wrestling with the town kids. Gone were the memories of teenage Zack standing in front of the mirror and whining about not being tall enough. Adult Zack was now a perfect representation of an alpha soldier. He bit his fingernail and squirmed from the pleasurable throb between his legs. “You are too.”

He grinned at the teasing display. “Enjoying the view?”

Cloud blushed and lowered his hand to his chest, dropping his gaze. “…”

Zack chuckled before kissing down his jaw and stopped at his neck, this time sucking above the scent gland.

“Z-Zack!” he gasped.

He sucked as hard as he could while gripping slim hips. Satisfied with the lovely sounds coming from the omega, he slowly pulled back with a loud smack and admired the glistening hickey on his neck. “There.”

The blond brought a hand to his neck, and sighed in relief when he didn’t see any blood. “How am I gonna hide this from Shinra?!”

“It’ll fade after a week. Besides, I want Sephiroth to see that he’s not the only alpha on the planet.” _That’ll teach him not to touch another alpha’s property._

“I doubt he will find me again…”

“You underestimate us alphas, Cloudy.” He knew for a fact that Seph wouldn’t ignore the one omega he’s strangely attracted to.

“Hn,” he spread his legs even wider when he remembered that huge cock stretching him. “I-I wanna feel an alpha again.”

It finally occurred to Zack that Sephiroth probably didn’t have enough time to make love to Cloud. “Have you ever done foreplay?” he asked as he yanked off Cloud’s shorts, his mouth salivating at the rose-scented smell. The soldier had to reel himself back after watching slick ooze out of his ass. _Oh, fuck…_

“Foreplay?” Cloud tried closing his legs, but firm hands on his thighs kept them apart.

His attention remained on the pool of slick. “You know, like oral sex and stuff.”

He shook his head, half noticing that his friend’s tone shifted. “No. Sephiroth was my very first alpha and all he could do was… penetrate me.”

Zack lowered his face near Cloud’s cock, smirking up at the curious omega. His anger about Sephiroth getting to his Cloudy first vanished when he had an even better opportunity to teach the cute blond about the joys of oral sex. “Then why don’t I show you a couple of things?”

Before he could reply, Cloud gasped at the sensation of a tongue licking the head of his cock. “Oh gods!”

The alpha quickly wrapped his lips around his twitching cock, coaxing more sounds from the blond. Hands buried in his spiky black hair as he took him deeper. _Moan for me._

“Hah! Z-Zack, please!” he arched his back. Embarrassed by the sound of his voice, he covered his mouth and moaned behind his palm.

The soldier’s eyes never left the blushing blond when he released his cock. “Look at me.”

The omega slowly lowered his hand and looked down. His breath quivered at the intensity of his gaze, and became entranced by those indigo pools. _Soldiers really do have hypnotic eyes._

Zack stretched out his tongue and licked the shaft all the way down to Cloud’s balls. He did it again and again, and could feel pale thighs tense underneath his hands.

“Zack!” Cloud shouted. His hands grasped the sheets beneath him.

“Yes. Say my name just like that.” He sucked the head of his cock, digging his fingers into soft thighs.

The blond screamed his name again and writhed on the bed. Strong hands held him in place, and he wanted to cry over how good everything felt. His hole twitched each time a tongue teased the slit of his cockhead. “P-please!” he moaned.

Zack sucked on his fingers while watching the blond, and circled a finger around the omega’s entrance. “You’re so fucking wet,” he muttered. Cloud’s body was _ready_ for him. “I bet you’re tight here too.” Testing the boundaries, he lightly pressed against his hole, watching him for any discomfort.

When Cloud felt pressure, he tensed and started to close his legs, but stopped midway as he knew that resisting would make things hurt. Briefly flashing back to that moment with Sephiroth, he wondered if that giant cock would have permanently hurt him if he wasn’t in heat.

Zack decided to suck his cock again in order to distract the omega. When Cloud moaned and writhed on the bed, he took that moment to push his finger deeper inside him. He began to imagine what it would feel like to have his finger replaced by his cock. _I wanna make you mine._

The omega couldn’t believe that he went this far with his childhood friend. His moment of doubt was short-lived when his body begged for something bigger to stretch him again. He craved an alpha’s cock to pleasure him and bring him to unknown heights since that brief moment with Sephiroth. _Alpha, please._

Cloud’s rosy scent filled the room, forcing Zack’s inner alpha to rear its head and examine the unclaimed omega. Swallowing his growl, he replaced his finger with his tongue and tasted omega slick. _All wet, just for me. _He wanted to fuck the blond over and over and _over _until the last bit of their sanities left.

Cloud panted nonstop, threading his fingers in soft raven strands as a tongue did magic in his ass. His body felt hot and a wave of desire began to build between his legs. Each time Zack’s tongue wiggled all around, Cloud’s belly clenched with need. However, something was missing; something big and hard and only belonged to an alpha. “I… want…”

The First lifted his head to look at him. “Say it, Cloudy.”

“I want you, Alpha.”

“So cute,” he said with a grin. Zack quickly sat up and pulled his underwear off, tossing it to the side. He looked back at Cloud in mild surprise when those pretty blues lingered on his erection.

The blond’s inner omega mewled in delight upon gazing at the large organ. Pleasure ran up and down his spine when he imagined that big thing inside him. “W-Will it fit?”

The First couldn’t help but laugh as he settled between his legs. “If you took Sephiroth just fine then you can handle mine.” All of Soldier knew about Seph’s massive dick that injured a lot of his previous bedmates. Genesis was the only one who managed to take it like a champ, but Zack always spotted the strain on his face several days afterwards.

Wait, Sephiroth’s was bigger than this? The blond didn’t remember seeing it during his heat, but he definitely recalled the pain being unbearable when he first penetrated him. “I—” Cloud’s breath hitched when Zack’s cock rubbed against his ass. “Ah…”

“You ready?” he asked, briefly glancing down to see slick coat his cock.

“Mm…” He ran a hand down the alpha’s toned abs, trailing his fingers between his legs to feel the thick shaft. “Give it to me.”

Zack grasped milky white thighs and allowed Cloud to guide his cock inside. As he pushed through that first ring of muscle, he let out a low groan from tight heat clamping around the head of his cock. “Fuck.”

Thighs quivering, the blond moaned from the large intrusion. He felt the alpha push deeper inside him until the tips of his fingers bumped against his pelvis. Cloud brought both hands over his mouth to stifle the embarrassing mewls and cries as his body adjusted to it all.

The First’s nostrils flared at rose-scented pheromones stirring his primitive side to fuck the omega into the mattress. He willed the dark desires away as he didn’t want to hurt his Cloudy. He only wanted to please his omega and make him enjoy sex without the heat cycle skewing his needs. “You okay?”

“Move, please!” Cloud rocked his hips in hopes of getting relief. The longer they waited, the less comfortable he felt.

“Fine.” Zack wasted no time setting about a fast pace, slamming his hips against the blond’s ass and moaning when hot, wet heat gripped his cock. _You feel so fucking good._ The omega let out muffled groans behind his palms and Zack yanked his arms down and said, “Let it all out, Cloudy.”

“Ah!” he shouted. “Zack!” The blond tried rocking his hips in time with the fast movements, but struggled when his body could do nothing but succumb to intense pleasure.

The First then rolled over and brought the blond with him to sit in his lap. The position allowed for deeper penetration, which didn’t go unnoticed as he shuddered from the constant clenching. “You ever been in this position?” he asked in a husky tone.

“No. His hands ran down the alpha’s chest. “What am I supposed to do?”

Amused by his innocence, he kissed him before replying, “Ride me.”

“Um…” Cloud began rocking his hips and his breath hitched at the pleasure. “Oh, that’s what you meant.”

“You’re so cute,” the First laughed again. “See if you like bein’ on top.”

Biting his lip, the blond moved his hips even faster and mewled at the new position. Zack’s cock went deeper, brushing against something that sent sparks of pleasure up his spine. He arched his back and rode the alpha as if it would all end before he had the chance to reach his orgasm. 

“Yeah, move your hips like that.” Zack never took his eyes off Cloud pleasuring himself on his cock. _Gods, you’re beautiful._

“Zack!” he moaned while gripping his shoulders. “Mmm…”

Panting, he tossed his head back when Cloud’s ass tightened around his cock, signaling his orgasm. Too soon, but since this was technically Cloud’s first time without his heat, Zack wanted the pretty blond to experience nothing but pleasure. There will be plenty of opportunities later. “I wanna fill you up.”

“Ah, yes!” Cloud moaned at the idea of another breeding session, feeling the beginnings of his orgasm tighten his lower belly.

With a deep breath, Zack grabbed his waist and slammed his hips upwards. A cry came from Cloud and the alpha never stopped his thrusts. “Come for me, babe.” He gritted his teeth when his bright indigo eyes lingered on the blond’s scent gland. His canines ached to ruin beautiful pale skin.

The omega met his thrusts by undulating his hips and sensed his orgasm teetering on the edge, ready to send him to bliss. The second a tongue circled his nipple, he moaned and held his body still when his cock shot hot cum on Zack’s stomach. The alpha grunted and continued thrusting, coaxing more cum to spatter between them. “Hah… yes….”

Zack followed him soon after, burying his face in the blond’s shoulder when he came inside the blond. “Cloud,” he groaned and wrapped his arms around a slim waist. “Fuck.”

_Breed me…_ The omega didn’t know why he hoped to get knocked up when there was the possibility of that already happening after Sephiroth. He didn’t want a child, but he would be content knowing that Zack or Sephiroth were his potential mates.

_I wanna knot you so badly. _The soldier kissed his scent gland one last time before gazing at Cloud with a small smile on his face. “Morning,” he greeted.

The blond snorted. “Stupid.”

They kissed and later snuggled back in the bed. Cloud’s arm draped across his chest as he quietly listened to a steady heartbeat. Holy Gaia, they’re no longer friends. Not only did Zack teach him about oral sex, but they also… _had actual sex_. It’s not like he hated the act— it was more about the fact that his childhood friend was now his lover, or mate in some cases. Was there a word for friends having sex, but not becoming official? Did Zack want them to be mates?

No turning back now…

* * *

Sephiroth sat on the edge of the bed with a scowl on his face. Donned in his black pajama pants and no shirt, he buried his face in his hands as exhaustion settled into his body.

Cloud transferred to the omega sector immediately after their strange interaction, from what he was told. The Company prepared an apartment for him and quickly sent him away before the blond ‘seduced the beloved First again.’ Leave it to Shinra to move quickly whenever it benefited them. He should be happy that Cloud was now safe here in Midgar, but something else annoyed him, and he couldn’t figure out why.

Ever since he left the Science Department, Sephiroth remained completely on edge. Typically, he didn’t care for trivial things, but if someone stared at him too long, or a soldier stood in his way, his anger got the best of him. His clipped tone towards the lower ranks were completely out of character. Most soldiers found it odd that he even acknowledged their existence.

The entire off-day prompted Angeal to fix him a light snack and ask if he was alright. Sephiroth immediately confronted Genesis for manipulating him to believe the silly notion of a fated pair. Genesis honestly didn’t think anything would happen, but had a feeling Sephiroth’s attraction was more than just a heat spell. Angeal seemed skeptical by his lover’s words, and asked if anything strange occurred in the Science Department. Once the silver-haired man recalled everything, Genesis wondered if his dear friend became obsessed over an omega.

Obsession was not good. He liked Cloud a lot after their short interactions, but to be completely consumed with the thought of him fueled the ever-growing anxiety. Sephiroth let out a heavy sigh and prepared a cup of coffee. Caffeine was probably the worst thing to consume when his anxiety was through the roof. But his stomach coiled in severe agony that even the thought of food made him nauseous. For now, a cup of black coffee could at least satiate his love-hate relationship with caffeine.

His entire time apart from the blond was exhausting. The silver-haired man only thought of the beautiful omega, hoping that he adjusted to the city with ease and made friends. Did he eat his meal yet? Did Shinra provide enough nesting materials in case he grew scared? With a growl, he downed his coffee in a few gulps, glaring at his now-empty mug. _Stop getting into my head._

Last night was even worse for him. A wave of dread appeared again when he dreamt of the blond mating with another alpha. At first, he thought it was an act of rape, but the imagery was so convoluted that he could have sworn the dark-haired alpha thrusting inside the blond reminded him of Zack.

The possibility of Cloud engaged in sexual activity shouldn’t piss him off. In fact, the omega was free to do what he wanted as long as Shinra didn’t lose their minds over unplanned acts. Yet, at this very moment, he would really like to know if Cloud already forgot about him and went after the next alpha who gave him attention. Though, whatever he did shouldn’t matter, for there was a chance Cloud carried his child.

Rubbing his aching forehead, he let out another sigh. He shouldn’t be thinking like this.

Sephiroth decided a workout in the Training Room would help. Now wearing his Soldier uniform, he held his coat in front of him and softly smiled when he recalled the cute omega sleeping next to his extra one. He will have to provide more clothes for him once he figured out where Shinra kept him.

He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for his desired floor number. Green eyes looked up to see the numbers steadily descending towards the Soldier Floor. Right when it hit floor sixty-seven, a familiar face appeared when the metal doors opened.

Zack.

The raven-haired man smiled and waved. “Hey, Seph.” _You’re the last person I wanted to see. _Before he left Cloud’s apartment, the blond panicked when he forgot about his ankle device. Apparently, Shinra warned him that they will know when an alpha is near. Cloud didn’t see any indication of an activated warning, but begged Zack to check the Science Department and make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. The First asked him to explain a little better and grew angry when he learned of Cloud’s body heat rising whenever he was near Sephiroth. He never heard of such a phenomenon, but promised the blond that he would check before he reported to his office. Zack couldn’t help but wonder if the spike in his basal temperature was just a fluke, or if Sephiroth’s presence sparked something else. If it were the latter, well, things will get complicated within these walls.

“Back from a mission?”

Mentally counting to three, he stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button. “Uh… sort of. I had to run an errand.”

Ah, the mating schedule. He remained silent while the elevator slowly began descending again. With another sharp intake of breath, he paused when he smelled a very familiar scent.

Jasmine.

Furrowing his brows, Sephiroth stared at his muddled reflection from the metal doors and sniffed again. Yes, that was definitely jasmine, but how… He quickly glanced at the back of the man’s head, wondering if he happened to smell the same thing. However, Zack shoulders seemed to be more rigid as he stared at the glowing numbers above the door.

The First tensed when he heard Sephiroth quietly sniff behind him. Zack made sure to take a thorough shower, but the blond unknowingly scent-marked him when he came on his stomach. A normal person would jump into the shower to prevent omega pheromones from mixing with his own. But Zack was so happy that he got to fuck his cute omega that he didn’t plan ahead afterwards. Yet, Sephiroth’s detection removed his doubt that the famous soldier could be sensitive to another omega’s scent. “Another day at the office, huh?” He carefully stretched his arms over his head, staring hard at the other alpha's obscure reflection. _Do you smell Cloud? Good._

The silver-haired man leaned back against the corner of the small machine, eyes boring into the other soldier’s back. The smell was a lot stronger when Zack moved.

Sephiroth had never been around an alpha who smelled pleasant to him. All of the alphas and betas had standard scents that merely told him of their rank. Genesis, Angeal, and even Zack’s scents have been around him long enough to easily pick out if they got lost in a crowd. Yet here was Zack giving off the same smell as a certain omega. A low growl rumbled in his throat and he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was thinking too hard. There’s no way Zack would know about Cloud.

Brief images of Cloud humping Zack caused him to glare at the back of the First’s head. The irritation and ever-growing desire to initiate a battle sounded a lot more entertaining than reading reports.

Zack could feel green eyes practically burn a hole in the back of his head when they stepped out of the elevators upon arrival. Either he found his back to be more interesting than the walls, or he detected Cloud’s scent. The First knew it was the latter given the growl that sounded behind him. “Are you alright?” he asked as he turned around. Cold sweat formed on his brow when those piercing green eyes held murderous intent.

Holding his gaze, Sephiroth could almost smell the fear radiating from the other alpha. He wanted to taunt him with threats, or pretend to show excitement over the possibility of another S-ranked mission. Instead, he willed his inner alpha to stand down and replied, “I have a headache.”

Zack didn’t know why he let out a sigh of relief. But as he cautiously stepped back, he thanked the gods for sparing him. “Well, I’m gonna go now…” he scratched the back of his head and never once budged from his spot.

He was tempted to say, ‘You’re wearing very strong cologne,’ but figured that would stir his anger again. The morning barely began and he was already tired and wanted to hide in his apartment. _It's impossible for me to predict the future._

The two soldiers stood in tense silence until Sephiroth brushed past him and made his way towards the training room.

This wasn’t over by a long shot.


	5. Chapter Five

Cloud was happy once Zack visited him again. After two days of not speaking to each other, the blond grew anxious over the possibility that his ankle device warned Shinra. Zack wished the Company equipped omegas with phones instead of the stupid device. He explained that many alphas who mated with omegas begged Shinra _for years_ to allow them to talk to the omegas instead of waiting for pregnancy test results. However, the Company felt that unapproved omega-alpha relations would cause problems.

“But Zack,” the blond frowned as he wrapped the blanket tighter around his form, “we also broke a lot of rules…”

“As long as your body heat doesn’t spike like that time with Seph, you should be good.” It was his turn to frown. “Though, why only him and not me?”

“I think it’s because my heat cycle was right at the end when he appeared. After all, my pause lasted an entire day.”

Zack tried not to let his jealousy rear its ugly head. “He was your first ever alpha. Your body isn’t used to being around us, huh?”

Cloud shook his head. “I didn’t even know alphas smelled this good.”

“Hm? How so?”

“You smell like honey and Sephiroth smells like vanilla.”

“Wh—” Zack looked surprised. “We have scents like that?” And here he thought only omegas had special scents.

“Yeah, but no other person has distinct scents like you guys.” He could tell rank just fine, but those crazy alphas from the other day didn’t smell good at all.

Now that he really thought about it, _none_ of the omegas he was assigned to back then emitted floral scents like Cloud. Sephiroth must also be aware of this since he was able to tell the source of the scent-mark. “Hm, well you smell like roses to me.”

“Really?!” Did Sephiroth smell anything too?

“Yeah, but what I’m really worried about is the possible pregnancy, Cloud.”

The blond ducked his head further into his little makeshift blanket cave on the couch. “He wasn’t in rut though…”

“You were in heat. Do I have to give you a crash course in sex ed?” Omegas in heat increase their chances of pregnancy by fifty percent. Alphas in rut would add another forty-nine percent. Thankfully, Cloud was only at the fifty percent mark, but that was still too high for Zack’s tastes.

“Well, if you’re so worried then why did we have sex without condoms?” Both of them weren’t in their cycles, but there was still a possibility.

“Maybe because I had hope.” Hope that he still had a chance before he got the call about that omega woman. Sephiroth didn’t deserve Cloud at all when he was trained to resist omegas. Zack, on the other hand, had to frequently worry about knocking up some stranger almost every month. Heidegger nagged him about not producing children and ordered a sperm count test. When the results came back ‘extremely fertile,’ he knew it wouldn’t be long before Shinra caught on to his avoidant tactics.

“Hope?” Cloud repeated. “…Zack, you want to get me pregnant?” Saying it out loud tore a smile from his lips. He immediately bit his bottom lip in retaliation. _What in the world? _“Since when did our relationship do a one-eighty?”

He still didn’t have the answer to that question. Everything happened so fast, all because his inner alpha wanted him. “Hell if I know.” The First scooted closer to him. “The thought of losing you to that man still pisses me off.” But he felt that there was more to his reasoning outside of stupid jealousy.

“But, Zack, I won’t know anything until next month. Are you just gonna keep having sex with me in secret?”

“I sure will.” He smiled at him. “I’ll hack your mating schedule if I have to.” Oh, that was a wonderful idea. The Turks were in charge of the schedules, but one Turk in particular still owed him a favor.

Cloud grinned at the thought of Zack satiating him during his next heat. For years, he spent holed up in his home using sex toys that barely did anything to satisfy his lust. Each heat cycle was full of agony when all he wanted was an alpha’s seed. “I-It will be a while before that happens though.”

“What do you mean?”

“My heat cycle is seasonal. It’ll be another three months before it comes around again.”

With a deep growl, he glared at the floor. “Gee, Seph definitely has a chance if your heat is…” he mentally calculated the number, “for only twelve days out of the year.”

“Twelve?”

“A three-day window for four seasons; that’s twelve.”

“No, you mean twenty-eight…”

“Tw—” Zack’s eyes widened. “Huh?” Surely his mathematics skills weren’t that off?

“My heat cycle is weird. Instead of three days every month, it’s seven days every three months.”

The alpha felt his heart rapidly beat in his chest at the thought of fucking Cloud nonstop for an _entire week_. Angeal asked him how he felt if he encountered an omega with a seven-day heat cycle. Zack found the idea scary, but not when it came to a certain blond sitting next to him. “You mean to tell me that your heat cycle will be like seventh heaven for me?”

He couldn’t break away from glowing indigo eyes. “W-What do you mean?”

“An entire week of fucking you on the bed until you beg me to stop,” he whispered, leaning over and nuzzling his neck. “I will fuck you so much that your belly will be full of my cum,” he trailed his hand underneath Cloud’s shirt. “Then you’d never have to doubt your pregnancy once I’m done filling you up.”

Cloud moaned at his words. “Z-Zack…” Gods, he wanted nothing more than for his childhood friend to fulfill that deep, dark need that his inner omega craved.

“I want you, Cloudy.” He kissed him. “I failed you back home, but never again.” 

“Do you…” he sighed when a hand caressed his stomach, “Do you want to be mates?”

“Fuck yeah, I do.”

He wanted to smile but, “The pregnancy…”

“You won’t get pregnant by that man.”

“Zack, what—”

“It _won’t_ happen. I’m sure of it.” He will form a bond with Cloud and then nobody will ever touch his sweet, cute omega ever again.

“Is it my turn to lecture you on sex ed?”

“Very funny.” He pushed the blond back on top of the blanket pile and crawled over him. “Will you be my mate, Cloudy?” Zack planted light kisses on his neck, causing Cloud to moan and wrap his arms around the alpha’s neck.

Before he said, ‘yes,’ something within his subconscious reminded him about a certain silver-haired alpha. Cloud thought his mind was being weird for whatever reason, but he couldn’t forget that beautiful Soldier who smelled like vanilla. “I-I…”

“When your next heat arrives, I’ll make sure to be the only alpha on your list.” It will be tricky to try and convince Heidegger that Cloud only needed one alpha for seven days. However, if the Company wanted him to make babies, why not give him the chance with an omega he showed interest in? Sephiroth didn’t give a fuck about Cloud outside of the scent, nothing more…

Their moment was interrupted when Zack’s cellphone rang. With a groan, he yanked it out of his back pocket and said, “What?”

“It’s Heidegger. Report back to HQ immediately.”

Looking down at the flustered blond beneath him, he had half the guts to tell the Director to fuck off. Instead, he sighed and said, “Be there in thirty minutes.” He hung up before he heard a reply. “Sorry, Cloudy, but duty calls.”

Cloud sighed and tossed an arm over his eyes. “I understand.” Though, it would be hard to calm down when a million things happened between them in the span of an hour.

He chuckled and kissed him. “We’ll talk more later. But for now, take some time to think about my offer, okay?”

The second Cloud heard the door close, he whined and kicked the air out of frustration. From childhood friends to lovers in less than a week, Cloud didn’t know what to think anymore when it came to his relationship with Zack. Now he lay on the couch with a raging boner as he imagined another round of sex with him.

The omega closed his eyes and trailed his fingers down his neck and stopped at the top of his oversized shirt that Zack brought for him. Musk mingled with the alpha’s natural honey scent drove his senses wild. His hole twitched at the thought of Zack’s large cock stretching him and pumping him full of hot cum. Cloud moaned when his hand cupped his erection, but he hesitated the second he breathed in the scent of vanilla.

“Having fun?” A deep, yet familiar voice, came from above him.

With a gasp, his blue eyes stared straight into glowing green depths. The strange man in black, also known as Sephiroth, leaned over him with a wicked grin on his face. Silver hair cascaded around the blond, causing him to briefly forget how to breathe. Cloud felt his omega desires rise to his conscious as he imagined this man satiating his lust again. “H-How did you…?”

“I followed him here,” he explained. He was glad he didn’t ignore his intuition when Zack quickly left HQ. Zack smelled like Cloud the entire time yesterday and Sephiroth finally came to the conclusion that the dream was a mere warning about another alpha rival threatening to steal his omega. Who would have thought the abandoned church would be the magical gateway to Paradise Sector? Genesis would consider it poetic imagery if he ever found out.

His scent grew stronger with every second, and Cloud finally broke his gaze with a deep sigh. Squeezing his thighs together in an attempt to calm his body, he quietly moaned when Sephiroth lifted his chin.

“Can you smell me?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“What am I telling you?”

A gloved finger ran across his bottom lip. “That you are my alpha.”

“Good boy.” Sephiroth didn’t miss the shiver from the cute blond. “Zack is not your mate and never will be.”

Cloud rose on the couch, suddenly realizing he was at eye level with the alpha’s crotch. “Did you hear our conversation?”

“Part of it.” Earlier, he stood next to the window listening to Zack’s silly attempts to woo Cloud. Before Sephiroth confronted Zack, Heidegger contacted him about a mission. Sephiroth then realized that in order to isolate the omega, he needed Zack gone. Typically, he didn’t refuse missions; but if he stalled any longer, Cloud would easily succumb to another alpha. “However, I can’t help but wonder if you forgot about me.”

The blond briefly recalled the weird thought that arose when Zack asked to be his mate. “No,” he said with a shake of his head. “How can I when I may be… pregnant?”

“There is no ‘may,’ Cloud.” The alpha knelt between his legs. His hands ran up clothed thighs and pressed against his stomach. “You _are_.”

Gods, a dark part of his brain hoped he was right, but he didn’t want to hurt Zack’s feelings. For some reason, he didn’t see himself with only one alpha, especially when the two he was heavily interested in affected him in such a strange way. “H-How can that be when you weren’t in rut?”

Sephiroth held his gaze. “Is Zack putting doubt in your head?”

Growing frustrated, Cloud shook his head over and over to clear his mind and to ignore the tantalizing alpha scent. “I won’t come to any conclusion until they give me the pregnancy test.” Zack didn’t believe it will come back positive; Sephiroth believed that it will. Very typical of alphas to have their own biased opinions. “Do you even _want _the child?”

The silver-haired man widened his eyes at the sudden question. As if a spell were broken, suddenly he could think clearly over the fact that he may be a father once he heard back from the Science Department. As he stated before with Genesis, he wasn’t ready for the commitment. He wanted Cloud, but he didn’t want what else came with establishing a bond. “I…”

Cloud frowned at the conflicted expression on his face. In that split second, he thought he may have found the real Sephiroth and not another horny alpha. “Um.”

Green eyes lingered on his omega’s neck, spotting the dark bruise dangerously close to the scent gland. He abruptly grabbed Cloud’s chin and jerked his head to the side. “Zack did this?” he asked with such uncertainty.

“Y-Yeah.”

_Bold, Zack, very bold._ “Hmph.” He grabbed the blond’s wrist and stood. “How about I make it even?”

Cloud’s protests fell on deaf ears when he was suddenly tossed on the bed and trapped underneath the silver-haired alpha. Rolling onto his back, he gazed into mako-infused eyes—slightly scared, mostly aroused.

_Beautiful._ Sephiroth caressed the omega’s perfect face before he saw the ugly hickey on his neck again. Not only that, but the entire bed smelled like Zack. “When I’m done with you, your apartment will be saturated with my scent.” He removed his coat in one swift moment and tossed it to the floor.

His body clenched with desire as his blue eyes roved over Sephiroth’s perfect body. Power, allure, and so very much _alpha._ What was it about Sephiroth and Zack that sent his hormones on overdrive? Alphas were supposed to scare him, but these two did something that made his inner omega cry for them.

He could smell the omega’s arousal, causing his eyes to glow even brighter. His attention lingered on Cloud’s neck and his canines throbbed as the scent gland remained unmarred by stupid alphas. “Submit to me again, my beautiful omega.”

Those words shouldn’t control him so easily, but the moment Sephiroth said it, Cloud whimpered and bared his neck to him. Slick pooled between his legs, and each time he shifted on the bed he felt the wet, sticky sensation.

Sephiroth licked and nuzzled pale skin before ripping Cloud’s clothes like paper. Jasmine filled his nostrils with every inhalation and Sephiroth had to prevent himself from ravishing the golden-haired omega. Taking another deep breath, his attention was now focused on wet, pale thighs. wasted no time spreading Cloud’s legs and positioned his mouth right at the slick entrance. _I’ll mark you in places that he will eventually find._

Cloud moaned when a tongue brushed against his hole. His hips twitched with every lick and kiss that sent sparks of pleasure straight to his cock. He buried his hands in silver hair, moaning from Sephiroth’s oral skills. “Mm…”

He pushed Cloud’s thighs back and probed inside, tasting the sweet nectar that belonged to an aroused omega. _Forever mine. _He briefly brought his tongue up to taste Cloud’s balls before going back to lap at the leaking hole.

“S-Se—Ah!” Fingers gripped his thighs hard enough to lock him in place. His cock leaked profusely onto his lower belly, pulsing and aching to be stroked until he came.

The alpha focused on giving nothing but pleasure to his cute omega. Cloud moaned above him as he left hickeys all over the back and inside of his thighs. Sephiroth’s tongue trailed along soft skin until he felt a strange bump. The taste of jasmine spread across his taste buds with every lick and he slowly moved back to stare at the strange spot.

It felt like a scent gland.

“Seph…?” Cloud tried to prop himself on his elbows, but strong hands pushed his thighs back even further to stifle movement.

With another lick, he could taste more jasmine on his tongue. His canines pulsed the longer he played with it, forcing his primitive desires to leave a nasty bruise instead. The strong taste and smell weren’t from slick, which meant that Cloud-- “You have another scent gland here,” he whispered.

“I-I do?”

With a frown, he lifted his head. “Surely you take baths?”

“Yeah, but,” his words were cut short when that tongue probed his ass. “Hn…”

_Zack must never know._ No need to make things complicated when he had a very aroused bed partner for the evening.

The blond felt his orgasm already approach as the alpha never stopped _devouring_ him. He rolled his hips over and over until that first wave of his orgasm forced a loud cry. Warm cum splashed onto his chest and coated his skin, causing him to shiver when Sephiroth never stopped licking him. “Seph…”

“So sensitive.” He kissed his way up the omega’s body, licking up excess cum before settling between his legs.

Cloud rolled his hips against the soldier’s clothed cock as they kissed, tasting himself on Sephiroth’s tongue and sending his body on overdrive once again. This man made his body feel things that he never knew existed when it came to pleasure. But when that magic tongue tasted every part of his mouth, Cloud thought he was about to come again until he felt a gloved hand reach between them. He heard a zipper and felt something hard and hot tap his lower belly. He broke the kiss with a gasp and glanced down at the glistening tip of Sephiroth’s huge cock. “Oh fuck…” Holy shit, how did he manage to get it to fit that time?

During their rut cycle, many alphas visited the Honeybee Inn where only beta women were requested to satisfy the alphas. Several women who were lucky enough to bed Sephiroth often complained about after-sex cramps from his ‘larger than normal’ cock. Sephiroth eventually stopped visiting the brothel once he heard the absurd rumors about permanently damaging a woman during one of his rut cycles. Genesis used his detective skills to find the source of those rumors and informed his dear friend that the woman stupidly handled multiple alphas without breaks in between. Beta women were not naturally designed to accept rutting alphas, let alone _multiple ones._ Her night with Sephiroth was the deciding factor over her future.

Shaking his head at the unwanted memory, the silver-haired man touched Cloud’s face and said, “You’ve taken me before.”

“I know, but it’s…” he glanced down at it again. _Really big._ “…bigger than Zack’s.”

At the wording, Sephiroth frowned at him. He had to know for curiosity’s sake. “Was Zack your only other alpha?”

Cloud silently nodded.

“Really? You’ve never been with an alpha before I encountered you?”

“No… You were my first.”

Oh, _that’s_ why Zack had a strange territorial attitude the other day. Sephiroth still didn’t know how the First managed to locate and have sex with Cloud, but figured this whole game started sometime after he brought the blond back to Midgar. Zack must have been upset for whatever reason and decided to level the playing field. “Hmph.” He took off his gloves with his teeth and tossed them to the side. “You were mine to begin with.”

He shivered at the tone of the alpha’s voice and spread his legs even wider. “I-I wanna feel you again.” Gods, when will he _not_ become addicted to alpha cock?

“Prepare yourself first.” The soldier’s beautiful green eyes emitted a bright hue.

“Prepare?”

He chuckled at the omega’s innocence. Grabbing his wrist, he brought Cloud’s hand towards his slick entrance and said, “Finger yourself.”

At the simple instruction, the blond moaned when he slid two fingers inside his ass. Whimpering at the wet sounds, followed by intense pleasure from his hand, Cloud arched his back when he curled his fingers, locating that spot he once discovered during a heat-induced masturbation session.

The alpha took the moment to rub his cock against slick fingers, coating his shaft with jasmine-scented slick. His eyes roved over a blushing omega and lingered on fingers moving in and out of a tight ass. _Mine._

“Mm, Alpha…”

Sephiroth growled and smacked his hand away before pushing the tip of his cock against Cloud’s ass. “Breathe,” he instructed and carefully slid inside, watching the omega’s face for any signs of pain. He may want to pound him on the mattress, but his beautiful omega wasn’t used to alphas yet, let alone someone of his size.

Cloud screamed from the intrusion and grasped the sheets beneath him, arching his back and wiggling away from Sephiroth. The soldier steadied him and purred in his ear, releasing calming pheromones that tore another whimper from his lips. “It hurts!” Holy Shiva, he’s gonna die!

“Shh,” he licked his neck and purred once again. “Breathe, Cloud.”

Taking deep breaths, he nuzzled Sephiroth’s hair and inhaled the calming vanilla scent. Sephiroth’s pheromones helped relax his body; and Cloud was grateful for his gentleness as he adjusted to the painful stretch. He wrapped his arms around the alpha’s shoulders and purred back with a small smile on his face. _Thank you._

Sephiroth sensed Cloud’s arousal overshadowed the pain and slowly began moving. This whole time, he thought Cloud had been with numerous alphas; but given that Nibelheim was such a desolate town, he shouldn’t be surprised at the earlier admittance of being the omega’s first alpha. _Mine._

Cloud’s body felt hot, and he vaguely thought about his ankle device, but no longer cared as he wanted to spend every moment with Sephiroth. The familiar sensation in his lower belly came back and the blond moaned as the soldier’s cock brushed against his prostate “Alpha, please,” he whispered in his ear.

He groaned and increased his pace. Tight, wet heat clenched around his cock as he thrusted inside the omega. Raising himself on his elbows, he stared down at the omega as he never stopped his thrusts and kissed him again.

The blond moaned into the kiss and ran his fingers down muscular shoulders. His hands grabbed a fistful of silver hair when Sephiroth’s cock relentlessly bumped his prostate. _Breed me._ His inner omega begged for more of the alpha’s seed. Even though he may already be pregnant, he wanted Sephiroth to never waste his essence anywhere else but inside him. At the thought of being filled to the brim with cum, he wrapped his legs around the soldier’s leather-clad waist and broke the kiss again. “Come inside me.”

He shuddered at the command and sucked on his neck as he moved even faster, reveling in the sounds from their lovemaking. Sephiroth growled when his cock throbbed continuously, signaling that his orgasm was near. “Cloud.”

“Seph—ah—Alpha!” he buried his nose next to his scent gland and moaned from the never-ending pleasure followed by the vanilla scent filling his nostrils. “Gods!”

Letting out a deep groan, the alpha felt hot cum spatter between them when Cloud’s ass tightened even further around his cock. It wasn’t long before he came inside his omega, pushing his body deeper until he heard another sharp cry from the man beneath him. He froze in place as his cock pumped hot cum inside the omega. _Get pregnant._

“Mm…” The blond rolled his hips as pleasure ran up and down his spine. He even felt Seph’s cock pulse inside him, satisfying his inner omega’s hidden wishes to be full of his cum. “Yes...”

“Such a good omega,” Sephiroth purred and gave Cloud’s neck one more lick before lifting his head. He smirked at the new hickey right above Zack’s. _That will teach you to mess with my future mate. _

Minutes passed and the two remained joined as if Sephiroth knotted Cloud. Of course, it would be a while before the alpha’s next rut cycle came, since his was every two months rather than a month. If the fifty percent chance of Cloud not being pregnant occurred, he would make sure to spend as much time as possible fucking him until he got the news. Sephiroth didn’t like the idea of violating several rules enforced by Shinra, but he did not want Zack to form a bond with Cloud. He showed interest in his beautiful omega, yet he knew deep down that it would be difficult to convince the Company to add his name on Cloud’s mating schedule.

Better yet, he now had to figure out how to deal with the thought of the blond having two scent glands. Did that mean Cloud was genetically designed for multiple mates?

Sephiroth slowly pulled out of the blond, listening to his quiet moan once the head of his cock slipped out. Copious amounts of fluids seeped out of Cloud’s entrance, and the alpha had half a mind to place his hand over it. Instead, he rolled out of the bed and took off the rest of his clothes and added them to the discarded pile. Cloud was already fast asleep, causing the soldier to chuckle and climb back in the bed. He pulled the sheets high over their bodies and spooned behind the blond.

With a deep sigh he drifted off to sleep with the thought of knowing that Zack’s scent no longer existed on the bed.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend pointed out to me that 'Scintilla' was one of Sephiroth's abilities in Dissidia. I did not know that... it's actually one of my favorite words.

Cloud woke to find Sephiroth resting against the headboard. Silver brows furrowed in deep thought as he idly ran his fingers down Cloud’s shoulder. The blond carefully rose and kissed the alpha on his chest before whispering, “Hi.”

With a slow blink, Sephiroth stopped his movements and looked down at the cute omega. “Hello, Cloud.”

“Are you okay?”

He pulled him closer to his body and sighed. “Just thinking.”

When nothing else was said, Cloud added, “About…?”

“How do you know Zack?”

What a strange way to start the morning. “We grew up together.”

“But I found you in Nibelheim,” he said with a puzzled expression.

Cloud shook his head. “When I was a baby, Zack’s Pa found me on the outskirts of our hometown. He brought me back home and I lived with Zack and his parents until…” He didn’t want to think about those painful memories, but if Sephiroth wanted to know, then he had every right to hear the story. “…Until I presented as an omega.”

Sephiroth remained quiet and nodded. He noticed the shift in Cloud’s expression and wasn’t sure if he touched a nerve. “What happened?”

“One night, I woke up to Zack standing above my bed doing… things… He ran when I called his name, and immediately left for Midgar.” Zack’s mother told him that he didn’t want to hurt Cloud and needed to put distance between them until he was able to control his inner alpha. “But I was locked away because the townspeople feared I would attract rogue alphas to the town.”

Green eyes widened. “You spent your first heat in solitary confinement?” An omega’s first heat cycle was painful from what he was taught. How on earth did Cloud manage to survive something so brutal without any human contact?

He shrugged and dropped his gaze. “Once my heat ended, I ran away and eventually found solace in Nibelheim.” It was the perfect location with very few people. Cloud felt safe mingling with mostly established alphas and betas. In fact, he learned more about alphas through the town elders than from the now-deceased male omega. “And that’s where you found me years later.”

“But how did Zack know you were here?”

“He said that he saw you carrying me back to the Company headquarters.”

Sephiroth vaguely remembered the people around him as he carefully carried Cloud to the Science Department. He was more focused on making sure nobody touched or came near his beautiful omega, while at the same time baffled about his peculiar obsession over Cloud. “He found you just like that?”

“No. He found me when those creepy alphas chased me.”

His eyes began to glow in anger. “Who were they? Describe them to me.”

Cloud did the best he could with his vague descriptions, but the sudden recognition on the alpha’s face was enough for him to trail off with his recollection. “Um, you know them?”

“I am familiar of them. They are members of the select few who approve of Shinra’s silly rules regarding the current treatment of omegas.”

“You mean, the mating schedule?”

“Yes.” He looked at him. “Do you realize that if you are pregnant with my child, you won’t have to worry about constantly mating with strangers?”

He shivered in disgust and felt Sephiroth rub his arm. “I really don’t have a choice, huh?” He didn’t want to be a mother, but he also wanted his freedom.

Sephiroth kissed the top of Cloud’s head, feeling a foreign ache in his chest. “I’m sorry.” He needed more time to sort out his feelings about his future before the Science Department conducted the test.

One of the things that made Zack and Sephiroth different from the other alphas were their compassion. “How do you feel about it? Are you like Zack?”

“I am at a loss with my beliefs now that I met you. Before, I didn’t care much about it since I am trained to resist your kind. But now that we… mated, I’m conflicted over my stance with the Shinra Rule.” He was always taught to be loyal to Soldier. Any time he thought differently, he faced the President’s wrath.

Cloud remembered the scientist’s words about ‘bringing Sephiroth to his knees.’ “Why are you trained to resist us?”

Sephiroth gave him a long blink. “Do you not know who I am?”

“Should I?”

“If I told you, would you suddenly fear me?”

Zack said something similar the other day. “Why would I fear you?” Heart thudding in his chest, Cloud placed a hand on the alpha’s cheek and stared into those cat-like eyes. “I trust you like I do with Zack.”

“You trust me?”

“Of course. You’re always concerned about me. Most alphas don’t do that.”

A somber smile appeared on his face as he held the hand against his cheek. “I lead Soldier, Cloud.”

A gasp escaped when he easily put the puzzle pieces together. If Sephiroth was the leader of Soldier, then that meant…

This man in his bed—the man who was ‘brought to his knees—’ was the strongest alpha in the world. Zack worried about Sephiroth not only because of his alpha nature, but because he had to compete with someone of incredible prowess. Yet Cloud felt completely unworthy as they sat in the bed naked and talking to each other like paired mates. “Even though you’re… a first class soldier, why does Shinra not want you to have a family?”

“I was told that I should only focus on my loyalties to the Company, nothing more.”

Sephiroth looked sad, and Cloud wrapped his arms around his waist. “I’m sorry.”

“There is nothing for you to be sorry about.” He kissed the unruly blond hair and wondered how it managed to stay unkempt like Zack’s hair.

“But if I’m pregnant after all, what will happen to you?”

“I do not know, Cloud. I am still at a loss as to why I’m attracted to you.”

He blushed. “Me…?”

“Yes. There’s something unique about you and I cannot figure out what that is.”

The omega suddenly remembered Zack claiming that he had a rosy scent. “Do I have a different scent?”

“You smell like jasmine flowers.”

Cloud laughed.

“What?”

“That’s my favorite flower.” He twirled Sephiroth’s hair around his finger. “That garden you saw, I planted jasmine before my heat began because this is their best season to grow.” Come to think of it, he remembered Zack eating anything with honey back when they were kids. Gongaga cuisine used a lot of honey in their desserts.

So, why did he smell like roses to Zack?

“Hmph. And what do I smell like?”

“Vanilla.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Of all the scents, I emit the most boring one from my shampoo.”

“Hm. Is it a major ingredient?”

“Yes. I have to use a custom shampoo product that can tame my hair.”

Cloud suddenly pictured running a brush through silver hair that belonged to a small child. With a frown, he shook his head. “Oh.” Why on earth did he imagine another fictional scenario?

“Is something wrong?”

“N-No. I had a strange thought but it’s okay.”

Sephiroth leaned forward and captured pouty lips. His omega’s moans increased in volume the longer they kissed, forcing him to pull back and whisper, “What are you doing to me?”

Green eyes illuminated in the dimly lit room as Cloud caught his breath and struggled to maintain his gaze. The blond examined the alpha’s beautiful face for several seconds before kissing him again. _I want you._

Hands trailed down the omega’s waist and helped the blond climb in his lap. The second Cloud’s ass rested against his cock, the alpha groaned and slid his tongue past soft lips. His beautiful omega released jasmine-scented pheromones, causing him to break the kiss with a low growl and lick all around pale skin. His lips pressed against Cloud’s scent gland and his canines ached to sink into flowery-smelling flesh, claiming the beautiful omega as his own.

_You belong to me._

Cloud moaned when calloused fingers slid inside his ass. He rocked his hips several times before whimpering and burying his face against Sephiroth’s shoulder. Low purrs reverberated in his ears and he responded by purring back and kissed his neck. “Alpha, please!”

Sephiroth moved his fingers faster, reeling himself back from tossing Cloud on the bed and fucking him nonstop. However, he had to report to the office soon before the Company became suspicious of his whereabouts. He didn’t bother to check his phone while Cloud was asleep. Only his mind focused on the golden-haired man writhing and begging for his seed. “That’s it,” he murmured. “Moan for me, little omega.”

“Hah!” A deep blush formed all over his body and he held onto Sephiroth for dear life as these magic fingers made him feel another wave of heart-stopping pleasure.

Slick trickled down his palm and he groaned when his cock pressed against Cloud’s ass again. He was completely hard and waiting to breed the omega until his inner alpha became satisfied. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself the moment he slid inside the blond. Instead, he curled his fingers to locate Cloud’s prostate and said, “Come for your alpha, Cloud.”

“Ah!” the omega arched his back and felt his cock jerk and twitch as he came. “Sephiroth…” he breathed before slumping against his perfect chest. “Mm.”

He chuckled and carefully pulled his fingers out, breath hitching at the copious amounts of slick trailing down his hand. Without any thought, he licked away his omega’s slick, eyes blazing as he wished he could fuck him again. _Mine._

Once he finished, Cloud tentatively licked his chin and purred in satisfaction when they kissed again. The blond reached for Sephiroth’s cock and angled it towards his entrance, but Sephiroth grabbed his wrist and growled in disapproval.

“Not today, Cloud.”

The blond could only pout. “Why?”

With his free hand, he trailed a thumb across his bottom lip. “You’re not used to me yet. I don’t want to hurt you.”

For some reason, Cloud felt insulted by the statement. “I’m an omega. I’m designed for you.”

Sephiroth closed his eyes by those bold words. “You will pass out again if we mate.”

That made him look confused. “What?”

Slowly opening his eyes, he sighed and withdrew his hands. “Alpha semen has sedative properties. Omegas are highly sensitive to it.” After last night, he knew his body produced higher than normal concentrations, considering that Cloud passed out _twice_ after sex.

That may be why his heat pause lasted for an entire day. When he mated with Zack, he felt a little light-headed, but not as much as last night, or after he lost his virginity to Sephiroth. “Wait, what time is it?”

“It’s late evening.”

Cloud widened his eyes as far as they could go as they lingered on the digital clock behind Sephiroth. He was asleep for that long?! “Oh my gods!!”

“I’m sorry.”

“You…” he swallowed the lump in his throat. “Why am I…?”

“Apparently I produce too much.”

Cloud almost said something else but realized that he may be Sephiroth’s first omega. After their conversation earlier, Cloud concluded that they were officially each other’s firsts. “It’s okay, you didn’t know.”

He sighed and wrapped his arms around the blond’s waist. “Please do not forgive me so easily. I feel as though I am making things complicated.”

And here Cloud thought _he _was the one causing problems. First Sephiroth, then Zack, the omega became confused by the crazy turn of events in such a short amount of time. “You’re not. Our primal instincts call for each other, that’s all.”

Sephiroth immediately asked, “Would you consider being my mate?”

“Huh?!” He moved back with a bewildered expression. “B-But Shinra’s Rule…”

“I need time to think things over, but if I hear you agree to it, then maybe I can convince my superiors to allow us to form a bond.” Perhaps he should talk about it with Genesis and Angeal. Out of all the people he trusted with his life, his friends would give their unbiased opinions about his personal affairs. Though, Zack would be devastated if he lost Cloud to his friend. Ever since the blond was brought back to Midgar, things became hectic in their relationship. No longer was Zack his friend, but a rival, all because of an omega.

But Cloud was _different_.

“I-I need some time,” Cloud looked off to the side, hoping that his fast heart beat wouldn’t be noticed by Sephiroth. “You and Zack are crazy…”

“Hmph.” He pressed his lips against Cloud’s forehead. “He may have an advantage of growing up with you, but I am a far superior mate.”

Cloud couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “Please don’t start this ego competition. Give me time to think about it, okay?”

Later on, Sephiroth fixed a meal while Cloud cleaned up in the bathroom. The blond asked why he didn’t take a shower, but the alpha merely shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ll do it later.”

At least, until Zack returned and smelled his ‘dear childhood friend’ he worried about over the past seven years. Sephiroth remembered listening to the other soldier’s stories about a childhood friend who went missing right after he left for Midgar. This whole time, Zack was talking about Cloud. What better way to level the playing field with his body smelling like the one person who made Zack restless?

As petty as it sounded, Sephiroth was content knowing that he had several chances to steal Cloud away.

* * *

Angeal could no longer ignore the giant tension between Sephiroth and Zack. It first started with pointed looks whenever they crossed paths on the Soldier Floor. Then the next day, Angeal walked into the break room for doughnuts and found the two glaring at each other as one made coffee while the other used the microwave. He felt bad for Zack to assume he could take Sephiroth lightly—something he always warned Genesis about whenever they sparred—but his mentee never backed down from the silent piss-off match against Sephiroth. Maybe Zack asked for an alpha-bond and Sephiroth declined in the rudest way possible; or maybe those two had a disagreement in a meeting with Heidegger. Either way, Angeal had enough of the brewing anger and requested that they meet him at the company gym.

Zack grumbled his annoyance when he saw Sephiroth quietly leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Angeal spoke to him with concern across his face, then stopped when he spotted Zack. “Hey,” he greeted with a wave.

“I thought there was some new skill you wanted to show _me_,” The dark-haired First barely gave Sephiroth so much as a glance.

“Yes. It’s called reconciliation.”

He let out another groan. “Angeeeeal!”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but this needs to stop before steam blows out of your ears.”

“Hmph.” Sephiroth looked at his friend. “Nothing is wrong, Angeal.”

“Really?” He placed his hands on his hips. “Then why don’t you acknowledge Zack’s presence?”

With a roll of his eyes, Zack nodded at Sephiroth. “Yo.”

“Hello,” he responded with a tight nod.

He turned back to Angeal. “See?”

Trying to look less annoyed, he said, “Great. That’s the first step. Next, care to explain what’s bothering you two?”

“For the last time,” Sephiroth began, “nothing is bothering us.”

Zack, on the other hand, held back his anger before he snapped and challenged this man to a death match. While he napped on the helicopter ride back, he dreamt that Cloud and Sephiroth fucked. At first, he thought his worst fears played dirty tricks, but the second he smelled roses on him this morning, he knew for a fact those two somehow met and did more than just… _talk_. How the fuck did Sephiroth find Cloud _again_?!

Angeal shook his head. “So, we’re just going to ignore the passive-aggressive taunts these past thirty-six hours?”

Zack knew that if he said anything about Cloud, he’d just lose his mind and attempt to beat the shit out of Sephiroth. Angeal wouldn’t be weird about it if he needed to truly understand the situation, but Sephiroth was another issue. For now, he will remain quiet until he had a solid plan. “We’re just frustrated, that’s all.”

That made no sense whatsoever. “Is this about the alpha bond?”

He blinked in surprise and scratched the back of his head. Wow, he completely forgot about that the moment Cloud came into the picture. “Uh, no…”

He tossed his hands in the air. “I spent ten minutes interrogating Seph and he also didn’t give me a straight answer!”

The silver-haired man sighed. “I appreciate your efforts, but do not let this concern you.” He wasn’t ready to tell his friends about Cloud. Genesis mentioned an ‘interesting smell’ coming from him earlier, but he said that he was just dreaming. He knew his friend wouldn’t take that half-assed answer so easily. But at least he will have enough time to figure things out before both men confronted him again. First and foremost, he needed to keep Cloud and Zack apart as much as possible before the silly alpha got even more cocky and formed a bond with _his _omega.

“Seph…”

Uncrossing his arms, he turned to the burly man and said, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?”

That was his polite way of saying, ‘meeting over.’ Angeal sighed. “No, no. I just wanted to make sure you guys weren’t fighting over something silly.” They’ve never fought for as long as Zack has been a soldier, which is why he was worried.

“I assure you, if Zack and I fought over anything, it would be something more important than an alpha bond.” He gave the younger First his full attention. “Or _someone_.”

Trying to maintain a neutral expression, Zack shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. “Even if it were about someone, I doubt you’d care unless they caught your curiosity.”

“Hmph.” He strode between the dark-haired men, giving Zack a long stare as he walked by him. _Cloud was never yours to begin with, Zack. _“I have work to do.”

“Same.” Zack waved at Angeal and purposefully ran past Sephiroth.

Angeal was left alone in the gym, stunned silent at the ever-growing tension between those two. Despite his efforts, nothing was resolved; but after the conversation, he had a feeling the main reason for the argument had to do with Nibelheim. Genesis mentioned that Sephiroth acted strange ever since he came back from the small town carrying the unknown omega. But what did this all have to do with Zack?

Thank goodness they didn’t attempt the alpha bond.


	7. Chapter Seven

Never in his entire life did Cloud think that he would be in the middle of an Alpha Ego Trip. He always assumed he would be kidnapped by Shinra, forced to mate with a crazy alpha, and be miserable for the rest of his life. Instead, in the span of one week, he was brought to the foreign city of Midgar and slept with not only his childhood friend, but the strongest soldier in the world. And as icing on the cake, he now had both alphas desiring to pair with him— _a bond._

How in Gaia’s name did it come to this? 

Sprawled across his bed facing the ceiling, Cloud inhaled the fresh scent of clean laundry and sighed. He was a little disappointed that the alphas’ scents vanished the moment he washed the evidence from his bed, but he was not about to sleep on cum-stained sheets, no matter how tempting it was. Plus, the last thing he needed was Zack stopping by again for a ‘visit’ and rip the bed apart out of rage. 

But what if Zack already smelled Sephiroth when he returned to headquarters?

With a groan, Cloud rolled to his side and curled around his pillow. At least that still smelled like vanilla… and honey… and—

“Oh gods…” he muttered while closing his eyes. He needed a hobby, _anything _to take his mind off those two beautiful alphas with the pretty eyes and huge—

Cloud rolled to his other side and glared at Sephiroth’s trench coat on the floor. Before that man left, he decided to wear his ‘old one’ and leave the ‘newer one’ behind for Cloud’s enjoyment. The omega hated that he spent half his night masturbating while sniffing Seph’s coat, purring at the thought of being filled again.

First off, how the heck could they do anything again if Seph’s… _semen_ made him pass out for a day?! It would be nice if they had longer than ten minutes to talk because he liked spending time with the alpha. After all, he was grateful that his first time was with someone trustworthy, even though it was under really awkward circumstances.

However, there were times where he wished Zack was his first alpha.

The omega brought his fingers to his lips. Even during their seven-year hiatus, Cloud pined for Zack. There wasn’t a day where the alpha never left his mind, even though they spent all those years on different sides of the world. The blond hoped he would see his childhood friend again, and even created fake scenarios where they crossed paths in the mountains and vanished somewhere where nobody would find them. But alas, he was found by a different Soldier, and during his heat at that.

Cloud stood from his bed and stretched with a loud groan. There were a lot of things he didn’t understand, but he needed to take his mind off his alphas for at least five minutes or else he would fulfill Shinra’s wet dream of producing child Soldiers.

He rubbed his neck with a frown and walked to his closet. He needed to find a library, or a bookstore, that had information on alpha and omega biology. After learning that he had two scent glands—one on his neck and one on his thigh—he had to figure out what that meant. Scent glands formed during puberty; and when bonds formed, alphas bit the scent glands, which altered the omegas’ scents to tell others that they were bonded.

So, what exactly did that mean if he had two? And why did he suddenly have another one just appear out of thin air when he only remembered ever having the one on his neck? Was this a result of late puberty, or something?

Cloud later left his apartment, this time leaving Sephiroth’s coat behind, and strolled through the omega sector. He gazed up at the numerous amenities and attractions, wondering where the heck was everyone. Although the bright neon signs looked interesting, he hardly saw anyone walking around, or long lines at any of the stores. Weird.

Without paying attention, he accidentally bumped into a young woman. Startled by the impact, he immediately apologized to her. “You okay?”

The brunette in the pink dress and red jacket dusted her shoulder and said, “Eh, I’ve had worse encounters.” Her green eyes blinked at him and she leaned closer, sniffing. “Huh, a male omega?”

He glanced off to the side. “Y-Yeah…”

“I thought that was just a rumor. You’ve been the talk of the town, you know!”

Cloud looked back at her in confusion. “Huh…?”

“Everyone has been talking about Sephiroth bringing back a male omega,” she simply explained, casually walking around him.

“Gee, news travels fast around here,” he muttered with a sigh.

She stopped behind him and twirled around, lacing her hands behind her back. “Well, omegas are rare. Anytime a new one joins this sector, it’s a big deal.” Especially when the omega is male.

Frowning again, he turned around to face her. “How rare?”

“You mean you don’t know? We make up one measly percent of the population!”

_When you’ve been in hiding for almost half of your life, it’s hard to keep up with current events. _“…” That may explain Shinra’s need for omegas. Without them, there wouldn’t be any Soldiers. Yet, if the ratio was _that_ skewed, then why weren’t omegas being born?

When the blond didn’t answer, she shrugged her shoulders and extended her hand. “I’m Aerith.”

Glancing at her hand, he slowly took it and replied, “Cloud.”

“It suits you.”

“Th-Thanks…”

And just like that, Cloud found himself drawn to Aerith. The two walked down the street, chatting about themselves. Cloud learned that she was orphaned at a young age and roamed Midgar until she presented as an omega. A beta woman kept her hidden in the slums until the Turks found her and brought her to the omega sector. After three years, Aerith became accustomed to the routine of living an isolated life. Cloud asked how she avoided pregnancy, but she explained that she knew a seller in the slums who provided birth control.

“It’s important that you keep it a secret,” she said with a finger over her lips. “If Shinra finally figures out that a lot of us have been using a banned prescription, we’re in trouble.”

Cloud nodded. “Of course.” He idly rubbed his stomach, wishing he had access before Sephiroth came to the picture.

Aerith glanced at his stomach and grimaced. “Yikes… you’ve been mated?”

“Dunno,” he lowered his hand, “I’ll find out next month.”

“How long have you been here?”

“A week.”

“Wha…?”

Cloud immediately explained what happened to him, blushing when he got to the sexual stuff and even mentioned Zack. When he finished, Aerith’s mouth fell open in shock.

“How lucky! Why couldn’t _I_ meet a nice soldier during my first time?” Instead, she was locked away and forced to mate with a complete stranger. “_And_ you have a childhood friend who is jealous?!” She sighed and shook her head. “Can we switch places?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re enjoying my complicated life.”

“Cloud, every omega wants to be fought over in a consensual manner.”

“…”

“Well, anyway, I’m really surprised that Sephiroth didn’t do anything weird.” She heard that the man wasn’t a normal alpha, and hearing Cloud’s story justified the rumors.

“He told me he was trained to resist omegas.”

“Oh, poor thing…” she shook her head. “That had to be painful.”

Cloud silently nodded and looked off to the side. He figured he could ask her, since she volunteered enough information about herself. “Do you… know anything about multiple scent glands?”

“Hmm, can’t say I do. Why?”

He told her about what Seph found and ended his quick recollection with, “I didn’t even know I had another one until he pointed it out.”

“What? You mean it just appeared?”

“Yeah. I would have noticed a while ago if it was there the whole time.”

Aerith placed a hand on her cheek. “I don’t really know the answer to that. Sorry.”

“It’s alright. I was gonna check out if there was a store that sold books about omega biology and whatnot.”

“Oh yeah! There are two, but one tends to sell more obscure novels. You should check that place out first.” Aerith gave him directions and quickly said, “I wish I could go with you, but I have to be somewhere soon.” She dug into her pocket and pulled out a card. “You should stop by here sometime. On certain days, the place is open to everyone and they have omega dancers.”

Cloud glanced at the card. “Seventh Heaven?”

“It’s the only place in Midgar where everyone can party and have a good time without violence.” She glanced at her watch. “Anyway, I gotta go. Stop by soon so I can introduce you to some cool people!”

He nodded and slid the card in his pocket. “Okay. I’ll check it out. Thanks.”

She smiled and waved at him before hurrying down the street.

* * *

Genesis stood in front of the entrance to Paradise Sector, tapping his heeled boot in annoyance as the Soldier on duty scanned his identification card. “Will you hurry up? I don’t have all day!”

“Sorry, Sir, but it’s procedure that we make sure it’s you and not a fake,” the Second said.

“As if there’s another alpha who could pull off my good looks,” he muttered with a roll of his eyes. Sephiroth was the only other person, but he would never admit that.

Once he was cleared to enter, the First snatched his card. “Finally.” He walked past the sector gates, ignoring the pointed looks he received from the guards who didn’t wear their helmets. Genesis casually strolled down the sector, waving and greeting the omegas who excitedly welcomed him back. As a bound soldier, he was sometimes requested to stop rogue alphas who managed to weasel their way into the sector. He found the mission too silly for his tastes, but the notoriety he received from the sweet women was enough for him to accept the recurring mission without hesitation. One group of omegas even started a second fan club that discussed his beloved story, Loveless.

The alpha arrived at his favorite bookstore and greeted the cashier with a warm smile. She blushed and offered him a doughnut and tea while he browsed around. He took the small plate and mug, scanning the bookshelves with new shipments of the latest fiction. Yet something caught his senses—something familiar and comforting. He followed the scent and found a young blond sitting cross-legged in one of the chairs reading a book. Genesis frowned and sniffed his tea, wondering if he was mistaken.

Cloud took one sniff of the air and jolted when he saw a Soldier staring back at him. The man with the red trench coat tilted his head to the side, studying him with a curious expression. The blond wondered how an unbound alpha managed to enter the sector, and better yet, why wasn’t he attacking him?

“Interesting,” the alpha whispered before taking a sip of his tea.

He glanced around, wondering if anyone else would notice the soldier. When nothing happened, he slowly relaxed, hands still in a death grip on the chair’s armrests. “Um…”

“You smell like an omega, but clearly that isn’t the case since you’re male.” Why would a male beta be here then?

He tensed and thought about lying his way out of the conversation, but this guy didn’t look like he could be deceived so easily. Instead, he said, “I… am one.”

Genesis stepped closer, ignoring the flinch from the cute omega’s face and sniffed again.

He smelled like Sephiroth.

“Who are you?” the alpha asked, no longer interested in his snacks as he placed them on the nearby table.

“I-I’m Cloud…” he said, trembling when the alpha came closer. But the moment he sniffed the Soldier again, he picked up a couple other scents—one belonging to Sephiroth, and an unknown alpha. “And you?”

“Genesis,” he tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear and sighed. “Why do you smell like Seph?”

He knows Sephiroth’s nickname? Are they friends? “Well, you kinda smell like him too.”

That made him blink in confusion. “What? I don’t smell like Angeal?”

Cloud, assuming this Angeal person was another friend, shrugged his shoulders. “I do smell another alpha, but I don’t recognize it as well as Seph…iroth’s.”

“Wait a minute,” he frowned harder, “how do you know—” His eyes widened upon making the connection. “_You’re_ the omega.”

The blond glanced around again, praying that the alpha didn’t go crazy and try to mount him.

Genesis placed his hands on his hips, staring hard at the omega’s appearance, trying to understand what made Sephiroth so fond of him. Cloud is cute, yes, but he pictured this anonymous person to be a little… older. However, the small frame paired with the adorable face just screamed _omega._ “My day just got better,” he said with a smirk.

“Why haven’t you attacked me?” he blatantly asked. “You’re an unbound alpha roaming—”

“I am very much bound to my beloved so I don’t become attached to omegas like you.”

_He’s bound?_ “I don’t smell an omega though.”

“But you smell an alpha, yes?”

“Y-Yeah?”

Genesis chuckled and shook his head. “You have much to learn.” He waved a hand in a nonchalant manner. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one.”

“Shock.”

He sighed. “What do you want?”

“Nothing. I was in the area looking for a specific book.” He glanced down at the one on the floor and gracefully picked it up. It was a book on alpha-omega dynamics. “Doing your research?”

“It’s none of your business.”

“It _is_ my business when Sephiroth and Zack are now on the verge of a duel because of you.” Angeal told him about his attempts to calm them down, but Genesis knew this was about the mysterious omega. Sephiroth returned from Nibelheim acting quite out-of-character, right around the same time the tension grew around Zack.

Which also meant Sephiroth visited Cloud again.

“Oh no…” Cloud buried his face in his hands and let out an exasperated sigh. “I didn’t mean for this to happen…”

Genesis closed the book and tapped the corner against his lips. Usually an omega would be thrilled to hear that two alphas are fighting for their interests. This one seemed rather embarrassed that he influenced Seph and Zack’s quarrel. “How did Zack enter this equation?”

Cloud told him what he told Aerith, leaving out the sexual details. When he finished, the alpha looked at him in complete shock.

“I thought fated pairs were myths…” he whispered. He was totally trolling Seph after he learned about Cloud, but to hear the blond’s side of the story made him wonder if he was actually right. There were a few cases of alphas having strong attractions to omegas, but he thought they were just some pheromone thing. Now, maybe the old romance sagas he read as a teenager were actually true.

“Huh?”

He shook his head and glanced at the book again. Maybe he should purchase a couple of them detailing this… rare phenomenon. “Nothing.”

Cloud slowly stood and carefully took the book from the Soldier’s hands. “I need that.”

Genesis tensed when his body reacted to the omega’s pheromones. Cloud smelled really, _really_ good, and a lot like Sephiroth. Suppressing his growl with a hand over his mouth, he backed away from him, completely flabbergasted as to why he reacted to Cloud. For the first time since his bond with Angeal, Genesis felt arousal for an _omega. _“Shit,” he muttered behind his hand before turning around and promptly leaving the bookstore.

The omega stared at him in shock as the man named Genesis left with a noticeable blush on his face. What just happened?

* * *

“Professor Hojo. I have updates regarding the omega named Cloud.”

The scientist in question continued his extraction, not giving the Turk his full attention. “Well?”

“It seems that Sephiroth voluntarily sought out the omega.”

“Really?”

Tseng was already accustomed to Hojo’s indifferent attitude and continued his report. “First Class Soldier Zack also located Cloud and I believe this caused a rift between the two alphas.”

“Hm.” Hojo placed the test tubes in their respective places and jotted something down on his notepad. “This isn’t distracting them from their missions, correct?”

He hesitated, then answered, “Sephiroth pushed a mission onto Zack in order to isolate Cloud.”

That made the scientist slowly turn to regard him. “Did he now?”

“Heidegger told me that he found it strange that Sephiroth turned down a mission. Upon further investigation, we found him in Cloud’s bed shortly after he spoke to the Director.”

“Hah!” the man cackled and shook his head. “He’s wasting his time if he thinks I’ll allow him to get cozy with a wretched omega!”

“Then what do you suggest we do, Professor?”

“Leave them be for now.”

Tseng looked at him in surprise. “Sir?”

“I have a theory and I want to test it first.” He placed his medical instrument on the table and stared hard at one of the test tubes. Sephiroth should not show interest to another omega, which means that the connection between the two is stronger than he assumed. Hojo rubbed his chin in thought. “I need to collect data on this specimen because my omega records are simply lacking these days.”

The Turk wasn’t certain, but he thought he heard heavy doubt in the scientist’s voice. Hojo rarely ever showed hesitance in his ideas, but this may be the very first case where something, or someone, baffled him. “Yes Sir,” he said with a tight nod.


	8. Chapter Eight

Zack was followed by a little girl.

Walking down the grassy path, he laughed whenever her cute giggles echoed behind him. Her tiny stature couldn’t keep up with his pace, so he helped the child onto his shoulders and continued his trek back to a house. He definitely knew in his semi-conscious state that he wasn’t in Midgar after gazing at the pretty blue sky overhead. The child pointed at the house in front of him and said something he didn’t understand.

Zack unlocked the door to the home and she climbed off his shoulders. Her black pigtails bounced behind her while she hurried towards Cloud with her arms outstretched. She wrapped them around his leg and the blond turned to her with a smile and patted her head.

“Something smells good!” Zack said as he walked by another faceless child painting a picture.

Cloud turned to him from the stove, and Zack could see that he was very much pregnant. “Welcome home!”

“Should you be allowed to stand when your due date is close?” he asked before kissing him.

“Seph cannot multitask with cooking and watching the kids, remember?”

“Yeah, I do,” he replied with a grin. “Anyway, I’m gonna wash up before supper.”

Zack climbed the stairs towards the bathroom and heard a scream from the kitchen. Rushing back down, he found the blond on the floor with a hand over his neck. “Cloud! Cloud!”

“It hurts…” the blond whispered.

“Let me see.” The alpha turned to the faceless children and asked them to leave the room, briefly startled that the other one had silver hair. He ignored the looming thoughts and knelt by his mate, checking the wound on his neck. Blood poured out of the bond mark, leaving the pale blond whimpering in pain. But as Zack watched blood seep from Cloud’s neck, he didn’t know what to do. He took plenty of first aid classes in the military, so why did he have a hard time trying to remember the protocols?

“Zack… please… help…” the blond whispered.

“I-I’ll get Seph!”

_ Like you always do._

_“ZACK!”_

The young soldier abruptly sat up from the table, bleary-eyed and confused as he glanced around, only to realize that he was in the Soldier lounge. “Wha…?”

Angeal stood next to him with concern written on his face. “You okay? You were growling in your sleep.”

“Huh?” Zack wiped his eyes.

“I came to wake you because you wouldn’t stop growling.” Several people cautiously walked around his table, refusing to wake him up. He grew annoyed by their passiveness and decided to do it himself.

“Weird…” he barely remembered the dream he had. There was something about a pregnant Cloud and blood...

“Someone said they saw you use the training room last night.”

Zack frowned. “What time is it?”

“It’s morning.”

He looked at his mentor in shock. “What?! I slept here _all_ _night_?”

Angeal became even more worried. “You must have exhausted yourself.”

Zack remembered cursing at a virtual Sephiroth and practically tearing the room apart while they fought. He was so fucking pissed at everything that he didn’t remember what else happened after he left the training room. “Y-Yeah…” he rubbed the back of his neck and slowly stood, wincing at the hardcore muscle aches all over his body. _I feel like shit._

He stared at him, folding his arms across his chest and tilted his head to the side in thought. Zack has been on edge ever since Sephiroth came back with that omega. He still didn’t know the whole story yet and never found the time to ask Genesis for any updates. All he knew about the situation was that Seph started disappearing from HQ while Zack was around, or vice versa. It’s as though the two planned something in secret, but quickly became known and pissed off both alphas. Where exactly did an omega factor into this?

Angeal rubbed the bridge of his nose. Oh, it was that simple. But why is Seph interested in an omega when he was technically immune to their pheromones? What on earth is going on? “Zack, this isn’t about the alpha bond, is it?”

The younger First turned to him. “Whaddya mean?”

“I’ve said this before, but I’m still surprised you and Seph aren’t at each other’s throats with the way you two glare at each other.”

“We came close…” he thought about the elevator and that murderous gaze that almost made him piss his pants.

He sat down. “Then tell me what’s going on.”

Zack saw the look on Angeal’s face and knew he wasn’t going anywhere until he heard the truth. “Uh, can this wait? I need to shower and stuff.”

Angeal rested his head in his hand and quietly pointed at the spot next to him.

He whined and flopped on the bench. Pouting and complaining wouldn’t get him far with Angeal. It worked maybe once or twice in the past, but his mentor was unrelenting. How Genesis managed to get away with his childish tantrums was beyond him. “Fine.”

Zack quietly told his mentor about Cloud, not leaving out any details as he explained his side of the story. One of the things he appreciated Angeal for was the fact that he could talk to him about _anything._ Not once did he feel embarrassed when he described the intimate details, let alone his primitive desires towards Cloud. When he finished, Angeal looked intrigued, yet confused.

“I don’t mean to bring him into this conversation, but why is Seph interested in an omega?” Angeal said, mostly to himself as he tapped his finger on the table in thought.

A low growl rumbled in his chest. “Dunno. But that doesn’t give him the right to flaunt Cloud’s scent around me.”

“Easy, Zack.” When his mentee let out a heavy sigh, he patted him on the back.

“I was gonna visit Cloudy yesterday, but I didn’t wanna scare him with my moods or whatever.”

“Hm.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Well, I don’t see anything wrong with you taking interest in Cloud, considering that you’ve been looking for him this whole time.”

Zack slammed his fists on the table. “How did Seph find him, Ange?! How did he find him when I spent my _entire_ Soldier career looking for him?!”

“Shh!” he glanced at one of the curious Seconds passing by their table. “Calm down!”

He rested his head in his hands and mentally counted to five. “I don’t like this…”

“I think it’s a matter of luck, that’s all.” Angeal noticed the tension in his shoulders and rubbed his back again. “But what’s important is that Cloud is safe here in—”

“That’s the thing!” he exclaimed. “He’s _not _safe because he will be added to the schedule! Who knows what those creepy alphas will do to him?!”

“Will you keep it down?” He felt a headache form and reminded himself to get pain meds. Zack’s scent was way too strong. All he could smell was the person sitting next to him, and not the other wandering alphas on this floor. “For Gaia’s sake, Zack, _cool it_!”

The young first remembered Angeal’s relaxation techniques and took deep, steady breaths. He felt the jealous possessiveness of his inner alpha recede to a small purr in the back of his mind. “Sorry.”

He sighed. “Again, I think Cloud is safer here than out in the wild where anybody could claim him.”

“But I want Cloud to be _my_ mate, Ange. I do not want Seph to take him from me.” Gods, the sleep did nothing but make him even more cranky. Perhaps he should take on volunteer missions where he could beat up rare monsters. At least he’d make some extra gil and potentially boost his fighting skills.

“Did you throw the mate question at Cloud because you really want him, or is it only because Seph wants him too?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Of course I want Cloudy!”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit selfish that you pushed the question on someone who just got here a week ago and hasn’t seen you in almost a decade?”

He let out a snort. “You and your childhood friend were in a similar predicament not too long ago, Ange. So, you can answer that question yourself.”

First, Zack had a valid point; and second, he did not sound like his usual self. That statement honestly sounded more like Sephiroth. “Is your rut cycle close?” Irritation, restless energy, and suffocating pheromones were all common symptoms.

“I still have another week, so no.”

Strange. “I still think you should—”

Zack abruptly stood. “Thanks for listening, Angeal, but I need to finish my mission report.” Without another word, he walked towards the elevator, shooting glares at anyone in his path.

Angeal let out another sigh and shook his head. No need to add more fuel to the fire within him. He will let Zack cool off for a few days before he approached him again.

“It one-hundred percent smells like Zack and I don’t like it,” Genesis said from behind him.

He turned to find his mate carrying a stack of books. “Hey, Gen.”

“What’s up with him?”

“A lot, actually.”

“Hm.” He watched the boisterous alpha get on the elevator and prevent another soldier from climbing on. “I need to talk to you.”

“As long as you don’t get snippy with me, then sure.” Angeal stood and helped him carry a few books, glancing at one of the titles. “Run out of romantic fiction books?”

Genesis rolled his eyes and walked towards the elevator. “This is important.”

“What’s wrong?”

He abruptly stopped and turned to him with slight worry on his face. “I met the omega.”

* * *

Cloud received a letter from Shinra Company. At first, he thought the anklet flared up again, but the letter informed him of a monthly allowance along with a credit card. The amount was more than he ever earned when he sold vegetables at the Nibelheim market. He thought about storing half of it somewhere in his apartment in case he decided to run away. However, now that Zack and Seph took interest in him, it would be hard to leave them behind. Plus, how would he escape with the stupid anklet tracking his movements?

Instead, he spent his day exploring the omega sector again. Although there weren’t a lot of people around, it was nice wandering somewhere and not encounter any weirdos. Even that Genesis guy didn’t seem much of a threat despite being an alpha. Cloud had a lot more questions after he met him, but decided to just take a day off from mulling over his thoughts.

The other omegas were comforting with their greetings and smiles. Many of them approached him, asking if he really was an omega that everyone gossiped about. Cloud blushed whenever they sniffed him, and eventually requested that they backed off. As he browsed around the clothing stores, he felt awkward when most of them were meant for women. The blond was eventually directed to a unisex store not far from his home.

When he tried on a pair of jeans, the card Aerith gave him yesterday slipped out of his pockets. He slowly picked it up and read it again, wondering what kind of place it was.

“Seventh Heaven, huh?” he muttered to himself.

_“You mean to tell me that your heat cycle will be like seventh heaven for me?”_

Cloud blushed and tossed the card on his discarded clothes. A small shiver ran up his spine when he remembered the look on Zack’s face. He shouldn’t even be thinking about anyone right now, but his mind wandered to that night where Sephiroth appeared from nowhere and…

Shaking his head, the omega bit his bottom lip to prevent a purr from slipping past his lips. He refused to get horny in public. Why _should_ he get horny over them when he didn’t want to feel so… _needy_? Ever since Sephiroth found him, his body never stopped craving him. His body never stopped aching for Zack either.

_Gods, I want them again._

He let out a shaky breath and decided that he would purchase the clothes before he did something embarrassing. Some of the items from Shinra didn’t properly fit. They most likely belonged to alphas and betas since the sizes were too big on his petite frame. He hated feeling so puny and wished his genetics didn’t betray him at puberty, but he had to come to terms with his body no matter how many times he hated looking in the mirror.

Cloud returned to his apartment carrying grocery and shopping bags. He bought a little more than usual because he only thought about impressing his alphas. What if Seph liked the black shirt instead of the green one? What if Zack preferred briefs rather than boxers? What if he surprised them with a meal whenever they came over?

“I’m becoming obsessed _again_,” he said to himself as he stared at the bags. Maybe he should leave before one of them showed up. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with laundry for the third time this week.

He left his home again and looked for the place known as Seventh Heaven. The directions on the back of the card indicated that it was nestled underground between his sector and sector seven. Cloud hesitated at first when he thought about those creepy alphas the last time he tried to explore Midgar, but decided that if he wanted to _not_ stay at home all the time, he had to take a chance.

Cloud was once again grateful for his navigation skills. Although the city didn’t have a lot of natural landscapes, he was able to use his inner compass that led him to another abandoned building. Once he opened the door, he climbed down a set of stairs and found a long, dark passage. Similar to the one underneath the church, the omega cautiously walked through it and found himself in a new area. Gazing at his surroundings, he found a building with the sign ‘Seventh Heaven’ hanging above it.

_ This must be it._

He spotted the familiar brunette sitting at one of the outdoor tables. She spoke to another woman with long dark hair, who laughed at something she said. Cloud slowly approached them, startled by the shift in the dark-haired woman’s expression the moment her attention was on him. She didn’t look to happy from the interruption.

“Uh, hi!” the blond said with a wave. “Aerith, right?”

The woman in the pink dress smiled and ran to give him a hug. Cloud was startled by the gesture and tried not to make eye contact at the other woman.

“I’m glad you came!” Aerith exclaimed.

“Who is this?” her companion asked.

“This is Cloud!” She turned to her and said, “And this is Tifa!”

“Hi…” he quietly greeted.

Tifa silently nodded at him, looking quite conflicted about his presence. “What do you want?”

“I invited him here!” Aerith answered as she ran behind him and pushed him towards the bar entrance.

“But we’re closed!” Tifa shouted.

“Oh, it’ll be fine! Barret will understand!”

“Huh?” Cloud said as Aerith pushed him through the propped doors. “Wha?”

“I said you can meet cool people, remember?”

He already got his daily dose of social interaction in the span of four hours so why would he be interested in dealing with more unwanted sniffs and squeals? “Um, I—”

“Come on! She gave him another hard push and he stumbled inside. Tifa walked by them without another word and disappeared behind another door.

The blond looked around the giant place, staring hard at the hanging cages and platforms situated in various spots. “So, what exactly is this place again?” His questioned echoed in the wide room.

“A club, silly!” Aerith exclaimed. “You’ve seen one before, right?”

He shook his head.

“Oh, you… hid for a long time, didn’t you?”

“Half my life, yeah. I grew up in a small town.”

“Ahh…” she nodded in understanding. “You’re new to the city life, aren’t you?”

He silently nodded, his attention focused on the giant pole in the middle of the room.

“Hm. How about I give you a tour? Tifa is probably complaining to Barret again. And Yuffie is out getting lunch!” She grabbed his arm. “Allow me to show you around!”

Cloud learned a lot about Seventh Heaven through Aerith. According to her, Seventh Heaven is neutral territory for everyone. Omegas have begged Shinra for years to build a club in Paradise Sector, but the President wouldn’t allow it due to his concerns of alphas running away with them. Instead, Barret and Tifa raised enough money to build the club in the slums; that way, everyone could enter without Shinra’s constant supervision. Every unbound alpha must be escorted by a bound alpha, or else he wasn’t allowed near the place. Betas and omegas were strongly welcomed, and all the professional dancers in the club were actually omegas.

“But, what about the tracking devices?” Cloud asked as he looked down at his feet.

“Shinra doesn’t actually track our movements within the city,” Aerith replied. “It’s only active when we leave Midgar.”

Shinra must have lied to him in order to scare him. This whole time he thought he was in trouble for attempting to explore the slums. Now he wondered if there was also a catch to them monitoring his vitals. “Won’t it cause problems if a bunch of alphas congregated in the same place as omegas, though?”

“That’s why we require bound alpha escorts.”

“Hm.”

She stifled a giggle. “You remind me of Tifa. When Barret first pitched this idea a few years ago, she was totally against it.” Tifa had a bunch of concerns with bringing random soldiers here, but once Barret explained his reasoning behind the club, she eventually agreed to help him.

“Is she an omega too?”

“Beta, actually.” She leaned closer to him and whispered, “She hates alphas because she doesn’t trust them. I have a feeling that she dated one before, but she won’t tell me anything.”

“Oh.”

Just then, a tall, burly man barged into the room with Tifa following after him. Cloud tensed when he smelled alpha and almost bolted until Aerith grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t worry, he’s on our side.”

The man stood next to her and glared at the blond, folding his arms across his chest. “This the omega?” his deep voice echoed.

“Yep!” said Aerith.

Cloud shrank in his seat when the man loomed over him and sniffed. He prayed that she was right about him.

“Hmm. You sure he’s one because I smell an alpha.”

“You smell it too, then?” Tifa quietly said as she stepped around him.

The blond frowned up at him. “Huh?”

“Who are you?” the man asked.

“I’m Cloud.”

Aerith said, “He’s an omega, Barret.”

“I’ve never heard of a male omega before.”

“But you see that he’s male and smells like an omega, yeah?”

“Yes… _and_ an alpha.”

Cloud was confused by their conversation and sniffed his arm. Genesis said something yesterday about smelling like Sephiroth, but it didn’t make any sense because Seph never scent marked him. Plus, he took a long bath right after they had sex.

“I smell two alphas, actually,” Tifa said with a frown.

Aerith smelled Cloud again. “I only sense one.”

“One is stronger than the other, but I definitely smell alphas on him.”

The blond had enough of the examinations and stood from his chair. This is weird and he didn’t like speculations when he didn’t understand them either. “I-I’m just gonna go now…”

“Sorry!” Aerith shouted. “We’ll stop.” She turned to the others. “_Right, _guys?”

Both of them sighed and nodded. Tifa said, “Sorry about that. We’re pretty nervous around newcomers.”

“Considering that Aerith handed out our cards like candy, we have to be on alert!” Barret exclaimed before shooting a pointed look at the brunette.

She waved him off. “Whatever! I’m a good judge of character! And Cloud happens to be the omega everyone gossiped about!”

“Why did you invite him here again?” the dark-haired woman asked.

Aerith grabbed Cloud’s arm and grinned at her. “I think he should be our newest dancer!”

The room went silent and Cloud blinked at the brunette before cautiously turning back to the other two. “Huh?”

“Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?!” the man barked as he tossed his hands in the air. “How do we know he’s not one of Shinra’s spies?!”

“He could be, but I’m one-hundred percent certain that he’s not.”

He tried to argue back, but nothing sounded good enough to get her to change her mind. “Bah!” he whirled around. “Arguing with you is pointless! I need a drink!” he stormed off without another word, leaving Cloud alone with the girls.

“I’m surprised he didn’t spend the next half hour ranting about Shinra Evil Company,” Tifa said before focusing her attention on the blond again.

“You know what that is? Growth,” she emphasized with a hand gesture.

“What about dancing now?” the blond asked.

“This club is specifically created for omegas,” she answered. “But every two weeks, it’s open to everybody. On those nights, the omegas dance in the cages to raise money.”

“A stripper, to be exact.” Tifa said with a roll of her eyes.

“Hey now! We’re just shaking our booties in sexy outfits, not taking them off!” Aerith giggled. “Last time we raised twenty thousand gil!” She will never forget the Soldier who donated half his salary after fawning over Yuffie.

“TWENTY?!” he shouted. Never in his life could he imagine that much gil in his possession!

“Before you start, you should know that the money is for _all_ omegas.”

Tifa added, “We use that money for club maintenance fees and… charity.”

Aerith gave her a knowing look. “We use it to pay for birth control _and_ help omegas escape.”

“Aerith!” she exclaimed.

“He needs to know why he should dance with us!”

The blond really liked the idea, but one, he didn’t know how to dance and, “Uh, help omegas escape?”

“Every now and then we’ll have one come to us requesting travel funds. Shinra monitors our spending activity, so we can’t just withdraw a ton of cash and bail out of here. Instead, omegas come to us in tears begging to be freed. We send them to a guy in the slums who charges us for removing the anklets.”

Tifa wrapped her arms around her waist and leaned against one of the tables. “Most of the time, it’s after they tested positive from a pregnancy test...” She looked sad. “So we want to give them as much as we can to help support the baby as well.” She didn’t know why she told Cloud all of that, but she sensed that Aerith was right about him being a potential ally.

Cloud held a hand against his stomach. It won’t be until another three weeks before he had to take one. He tried to ignore his anxiety rearing its ugly head at the thought of becoming a mother. Family planning was the last thing on his mind, but just to be on the safe side, he should take the time to read the pregnancy chapters in those books.

Tifa carefully watched him, suddenly feeling bad for distrusting him at first. “You’ve been mated already?”

He didn’t meet her gaze.

She figured now was not a good time to probe into his life. “I’m sorry.”

Cloud shook his head and gave her a tiny, reassuring smile. “It’s fine, really.”

Aerith said, “We can teach you how to dance if you’re not familiar with it. However, we’ll have to be careful until we know if you’re pregnant or not.” She knew that Cloud was perfect for Seventh Heaven because he trusted her enough to tell her everything. Not many people did it without a reason, and Cloud’s reason was that he probably didn’t have anyone to confide in.

He let out a tired sigh. “Yeah, okay.”

“Stay with us for dinner. I really want you to meet Yuffie.”

Cloud wanted to turn down the offer, but he had a hard time saying no to nice people. Instead, his smile widened and he muttered his thanks. “I’d love to.”

* * *

Sephiroth stood in front of Cloud’s home, unsure if he truly needed to be here. He still had unanswered questions since their last encounter, but never had the time to research his suspicions in the Data Room. Instead, he focused on his work, pleased that not a moment was spent thinking about the omega. Thank the gods.

Letting out a tired sigh, he knocked on the door. After several seconds of nothing, he tried again.

Still nothing.

Sephiroth frowned and walked around the building, peeking through the dark windows and not spotting the familiar blond anywhere. No lights, or any signs of activity could be seen inside.

“Perhaps it’s for the best,” he whispered to himself. After all, Cloud needed to explore the sector or else he’d get cabin fever. However, he hoped the blond wasn’t lurking in the slums again. If another random alpha touched Cloud, well, he’d have to answer to a lot of people as to why he murdered a fellow soldier.

Turning around, he smiled to himself as he began walking, but halted in his footsteps when he detected Zack’s scent.

“Oh, isn’t this peachy?” the young First said as he stepped from around the fence.

His smile shifted to a knowing smirk. “Hmph, must be fate.”

“Shut up!” he shouted. “What the fuck are you still doing here?”

So much anger radiated from the other alpha that he had to take a few steps back. His inner alpha sensed the threatening aura and yearned for a challenge. But Sephiroth did not want to bring attention to them when they weren’t supposed to be here in the first place. “I came to see my omega, of course.”

“_Your _omega?” Zack scoffed with a shake of his head. “Try again.”

“Fortunately for us, he’s not home.” Sephiroth started walking again, frowning when Zack’s scent grew overwhelmingly stronger with each step. Common sense told him that he was angry, but an alpha’s pheromones shouldn’t be this pungent from that alone. Not even the slight breeze did much to tone it down.

“Stay away from Cloud,” he warned in a low voice. Just standing close to someone who fucked Cloud _twice _made him even more annoyed.

“Or what? You’ll kill me?”

His eyes glowed. “I wouldn’t hesitate if that is the only way to keep you away from him.”

“Hmph.” Sephiroth was done with the conversation. He was _so _tempted to start a fight, but he could not afford to lose his special privilege to Paradise Sector. “You could try if you’d like, but please remember that we’re supposed to be invisible, Zack.”

The young First charged at him with his fist pulled back, screaming at the silver-haired man. The second he moved to punch him, Sephiroth vanished in the blink of an eye, causing him to lose his footing. He felt sudden pain between his shoulder blades, and he grunted from the impact when an arm pressed against the back of his neck, sending him to the ground.

“Stand down, soldier,” the alpha commanded.

“_Fuck. You_.” He tried wiggling from his iron grip.

Sephiroth found Zack’s demeanor to be strange. He was never this sloppy in his hand-to-hand combat. “Are you in rut?” he asked.

“Get off of me!”

He sighed and said, “Goodnight Zack.” Before knocking him unconscious. He will have to leave him at Honeybee Inn and notify Heidegger immediately.

But, didn’t Zack already have his rut cycle not too long ago?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys probably know by now that I am obsessed with Cloud dancing in clubs lol.


	9. Chapter Nine

Angeal stared at Genesis in shock after he told him about his encounter with the omega. But he was more worried over the fact that Sephiroth sat in the office next to them with a deep frown on his face.

Green eyes remained glued to Genesis’s side profile even after the man long finished his story. He propped his boots on his desk and folded his arms across his chest as he leaned back in his chair, mulling over his friend’s story. “I’d really like to know what gave you the right to flirt with Cloud.”

“I did no such thing, Seph!” he exclaimed. “I sniffed him when he grabbed that book, and the next thing I knew I’m reliving my puberty!”

“But,” Angeal began with a hand on his chin, “he smelled like Seph. Were you more interested that his scent mimicked your friend’s, or the fact that he was an omega?”

“If I knew the answer to that we wouldn’t be sitting here having a roundtable discussion.” He huffed and grabbed one of his books. “Maybe one of these can tell me because you two sure are being oh-so-helpful.”

The silver-haired alpha shook his head. “My theory is that your bond with Angeal is weakening.”

“_Excuse_ me?”

“What?!” Angeal exclaimed.

Sephiroth sighed. “You rarely show any interest towards me unless our hormones overpower us. However, for you to respond to Cloud upon first interaction is a sure sign that your bond with Angeal isn’t as strong anymore.”

The fact that he came to that conclusion so fast meant that he knew something they didn’t. “How do you know for sure, Seph?”

“I overheard Hojo once state that alpha bonds were impossible. Granted, the phenomenon has never been documented in the past, but he believed that it wouldn’t be long before you two showed interest in omegas again.”

“We’ve had our bond for several _years_ now, Seph!” Genesis shouted before standing. “How does it just suddenly do this when we were thrown into a room full of omegas in heat and had _no _desire whatsoever?!”

Angeal tried not to panic as much as Gen, but now that he thought about it, he noticed that his heightened senses towards his mate weren’t as strong as before. In fact, when Zack asked about how it felt to be bonded, it took him a moment to remember what it was like when he first formed it with Genesis. Back then, his new bond gave him migraines because everything was overwhelming. Suddenly, he was aware of the red head’s presence, and even knew his moods before he physically displayed them. Their ruts were ten times more satisfying than before, and he showed no desire towards anyone but Gen. Yet, one thing he never considered was that Genesis still offered himself to Seph during his ruts.

How could he not have noticed that before…?

Sephiroth lowered his legs to the floor and leaned forward on his desk, drumming his fingers on the wooden surface. “When was the last time you two crossed paths with an unmated omega?”

His friends exchanged a silent glance. Genesis was the one who said, “I encounter them quite often since I have free access to their sector whenever a Soldier manages to weasel his way through.”

Angeal on the other hand, hasn’t encountered one since he first made the bond with Genesis. “I…”

The red head frowned back at him and said, “Don’t tell me this is Angeal’s fault?”

The man in black stared at Angeal and stopped tapping his fingers on the desk. “I don’t think that’s it. Bonds work both ways, correct?”

Genesis placed his hands on his hips. “How are you such an afficionado on this when you can’t even keep Zack away from your little omega anyway?”

“His name is Cloud and I made sure to leave Zack at the Inn.” He really hated escort missions, but he needed Zack far away from Cloud and take his frustrations out on willing betas. He also took the liberty of telling Heidegger that Zack would be out of commission for a short period. His boss muttered that it’s a shame his rut came after his scheduled mating. “But back to the conversation.”

“Wait,” said Angeal, “the Inn? Is he…?”

He nodded. “His rut came early.”

The other alpha looked at his mate again in silence. Genesis quirked a brow at him in question, which made Angeal shake his head. “Things got complicated since Cloud came into the picture, huh?”

Sephiroth said, “I still find it odd that he aroused Genesis.”

The man in question regretted ever telling them about his encounter. All the shit hit the fan at record speed and there was no way to clean up the piling mess the longer they spoke. “Well, I for one refuse to be wooed by an omega.” Those mating schedules were _disgusting_.

Angeal let out a heavy sigh and said, “I have a theory, but it may be a bit farfetched.” When both blue and green eyes were on him, he added, “I have this feeling that our bond allowed us to be resistant towards omegas, like Seph, but we are able to… still have a reaction regardless. An alpha bond temporarily slows things down because none of us smell like an omega, but more like a substitute mate.”

Sephiroth nodded, understanding the meaning behind his explanation. “We are genetically wired to mate with them. It’s hard to avoid it when our alpha tendencies are keen to the submissive classes.”

Genesis tried not to grit his teeth at the notion that he may have to fuck an omega. He avoided that for many years now; to desire to breed with an omega and trap himself in a family setting annoyed him. “I can’t tell Heidegger to stop sending me over there or else he will put my ass back on that stupid schedule.”

“Then don’t sniff omegas like Cloud for example and you should be good.”

That was his cue to say, “I find it interesting that you, who is immune to omega pheromones, saturated Cloud’s body with yours.” He quirked a brow at the glare he received in response. “It’s as though you are quite fond of the little blondie.”

“Perhaps,” he muttered, now wishing that this conversation would end. But it wouldn’t take long for his friends to catch on his strange behavior. With his rivalry towards Zack— when they’ve never been aggressive towards each other since they first met— it was hard to avoid the questions.

“Seph,” said Angeal, “for you to voluntarily visit him means that there’s something else going on.” Then it clicked before he had time to think it over. “Is it because there’s the chance that he’s pregnant?” Alphas typically hover near their recently mated omegas, which is why Shinra made sure to keep all alphas separate from omegas after the scheduling to avoid any unwanted disappearances.

His eyes widened at the thought. “I… hope that’s not the case…” But his inner alpha loved that there was a high chance the omega would be his alone. Zack could finally stay away from Cloud forever.

At the conflicted look on their friend’s face, Genesis and Angeal glanced at each other once again. Their bond allowed them to immediately sense what they were thinking, which turned out to be the same consensus: Sephiroth is attached to an omega.

It was Angeal who asked, “But if you do receive the call, what will you do? You know Shinra would be against it.” Otherwise, they wouldn’t have trained him to resist omega pheromones in the first place.

No matter how many times people asked him that question, his answer was always, “I do not know…” He couldn’t imagine himself living a domestic life with a mate and a child. Yet, when he pictured coming home to a pregnant Cloud, there was this sense of longing. _How can I convince Shinra to allow me to keep Cloud and the baby? _“I’d rather not talk about it.”

Genesis definitely needed to research the topic of fated pairs. “You know we will be right by your side when that time comes.”

He shook his head and stood. “I’m going to make rounds.” With a wave of his hand, he brushed past them and stepped out of his office. _I desire Cloud and that’s all that matters._

* * *

Cloud never heard from Zack or Sephiroth for the next two days. The strange silence and lack of jealous alphas breathing down his neck were blessings from the Goddess. He took the time to think about Aerith’s offer of joining Seventh Heaven as a dancer.

Yuffie turned out to be exactly as Aerith described: goofy, loud, but downright entertaining. The second she returned with food, Aerith switched from a down-to-earth sweetheart to the life of the party. Even Barret warmed up when Yuffie returned. Tifa stayed the same and shook her head with a smirk whenever they tried to drag her into the light-hearted conversations.

Cloud learned that Barret is indeed an alpha, but rarely showed interest in omegas. The man said that he felt this urge to protect all of them, rather than… the other thing alphas liked to do when around unmated omegas. There were a few occasions where he displayed lust towards one, but they were very, very rare—like his ruts. Cloud didn’t think such an alpha existed, particularly one who has never been mated. However, Sephiroth sort of fit the description too, the more he thought about it… The only difference was that Sephiroth was forced to ignore his primal urges.

Then Cloud was given another history lesson behind Seventh Heaven and why the club was deemed a safe-haven by all omegas. Barret was one of the few alphas who hated the mating schedule. He befriended many people throughout his life in Midgar and saw his alpha buddies lose the “omega of their dreams” to another alpha who didn’t want to be mated with strangers either. Shinra’s ultimate goal was to make a new generation of Soldiers no matter what it costed them. However, Barret witnessed the distress among his friends and decided to build Seventh Heaven, along with Tifa.

The blond thought about his current situation. If he was pregnant with Sephiroth’s child, how would his relationship with Zack change? If he wasn’t pregnant… how would Sephiroth feel? He glanced at the family-planning books on his kitchen table and sighed. Guess it’s best to wait for the test and do a _lot _of praying.

There was a sudden knock at the door. Cloud frowned when he wondered who would visit him so late at night. But then he quickly remembered that it was probably Sephiroth since Zack should still be on his mission. They haven’t spoken to each other since his friend abruptly left before the other alpha showed up seconds later.

He wondered how long it would take for them to arrive at his door at the same time—if they haven’t already…

Cloud opened the door, and there stood his childhood friend wearing his Soldier uniform. He looked a bit disheveled, but the look on his face reminded the blond of an expression he’d never thought he’d see again.

“Hey, Cloudy!” Zack said before brushing past him.

The blond got a whiff of honey and other scents that definitely didn’t belong to Zack. He smelled like he spent an entire day with betas. “H-Hey…”

“Been busy?”

“What are you doing here?” he said as he closed and locked the door.

He slowly turned around, those indigo eyes blazing at him in the dimly lit room. “You weren’t here the other day. I figured I would come back later.”

_Oh…_ “Um, your mission ended already?” His sense of time was way off thanks to Sephiroth.

A small smile appeared on his face when he vaguely remembered the automated message from The Company stating that his leave of absence didn’t end until tomorrow night. Sure, those girls at the Inn were cute and all, but none of them smelled like Cloud. After he got his numerous orgasms, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with another beta and decided to leave. He knew that there was someone _much better_ to satiate his desires. But in order for him to leave before his allotted time, he explained that his rut ended early and he would go back to HQ. 

_ “Just don’t tell them that I’m already gone.”_

He found another secret route to Paradise Sector that led him right to his destination. Whoever constructed this sector did a shitty job at blocking off the abandoned buildings. Now he understood why so many cases of rogue alphas appeared around here. “Yeah, I finished pretty quickly. I wanna see you since it’s been a while.”

Cloud shrugged and walked over to the kitchen. _It’s only been like a day or two…_ “You want anything?”

His eyes lingered on the back of Cloud’s neck. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly when all he could smell was roses. “I’ll try your cooking later—when we have more time together.”

The blond turned around and felt a shiver down his spine when that intense look on Zack’s face never faltered. “I wanted to ask you that. How are you and Sephiroth taking turns seeing me?” Genesis told him that they were already fighting, but he didn’t want to believe that he was the cause of it.

The First suppressed a growl at the mention of another alpha. He was glad that overrated war hero wasn’t around his omega, but who knows when he’d show up again? However, Cloud had a good question. How exactly were they able to miss each other during their visitations until that night? They were clearly both aware of the blond, but the passive-aggressive conversations have got to end at some point, or else Cloud would get hurt in the midst of their tension. “Who cares about him? I have you all to myself.”

Cloud frowned at him. Zack was acting weird and his pheromones overpowered the smell of betas. All he could smell now was honey. He felt a little light-headed and said, “Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

Here we go _again_. “Calm down. You smell very, very alpha right now.”

“And?” he stepped closer to him. “My scent shouldn’t affect you as much now that I fucked you.”

He scoffed and looked off to the side, folding his arms across his chest. “Zack, you’re being weird.”

“You sure it’s not just you? You should be thrilled that I’m here to claim what’s rightfully mine.”

Somehow, Zack was a little too close for his tastes, and Cloud took a few steps back until he hit the wall. Those beautiful indigo eyes bore right into his, and Cloud found it even harder to look away. The Zack he knew was still in front of him, but another Zack showed himself, the one that loomed over him the night he presented as an omega. “Are you—”

“Ohhh, that’s riiight…” He slammed both hands on either side of the omega’s head, smirking when he flinched from the sound. “You’ve never been with a rutting alpha, have you?”

Cloud felt his body grow hot, which was the complete_ opposite _reaction to have. Besides, an alpha in rut shouldn’t even be self-aware, yet Zack was able to communicate with him longer than two minutes. “Why are you here, seriously?” he asked in a breathy whisper.

His eyes lingered on pale skin again, feeling his canines throb as he leaned closer to Cloud. He saw the new hickey Sephiroth left next to the one he made and wanted to beat the shit out of that asshole. “Why do you think I’m here?”

“I-I’ve never—Ah!” A hand rubbed the front of his pajama pants.

“Here,” he whispered. “My omega knows what I need.”

“Zack!” he cried.

The First swiftly tore Cloud’s pants and tossed them to the side. “That’s not my name.”

When fingers slid inside his ass without warning, the blond let out an embarrassing sound, causing him to bite his bottom lip. He whimpered as fingers curled inside him, and he wondered how he could be so wet when a rutting alpha was in his presence. Did his heat come back? Was it because of Zack?

“I can’t hear you, Cloudy,” he trailed his tongue down the omega’s neck, growling when a hand covered his scent gland. “Move.”

“No. Don’t bite me…”

“I can end this game with Seph right now.”

“No!”

Snarling, he quickly withdrew his fingers and brought them to his mouth. He tasted Cloud’s slick, never breaking his gaze from the blushing blond. “Fine, but the moment you drop your hand, I’ll make you mine.”

Lips meshed against his and Cloud moaned from the sudden movement. He tried so hard to keep his hand in place while the other hand grasped a toned arm. A tongue slid past his lips and all he could do was cry out in lust as it caressed and invaded his mouth, forcing him to taste himself. He shouldn’t be responding so eagerly; he shouldn’t be around a rutting alpha—but Zack smelled so damn good and coaxed the deepest part of his subconscious to crave his knot. _Make me feel pain._

Zack reached between them without breaking the kiss and unzipped his pants. He let out a heavy sigh when his hard cock was freed from his clothes. Pulling back with a loud smack, he mumbled, “Touch me while I touch you.”

Cloud’s trembling fingers reached for Zack’s cock, and he gasped when his hand made contact with the hot, wet head of his friend’s cock. Zack’s body heat was ridiculously high—to the point where sweat formed on his skin.

The alpha groaned and tilted his head back when soft fingers wrapped around his cock. Thank the gods Cloud didn’t touch the sensitive base, or else he’d lose his mind. A tiny bit of sanity was still there to remind him to prepare his omega for knotting. Even though the blond wasn’t in heat, the idea of filling Cloud’s body was enough for him to continue.

Cloud whimpered when fingers slid between his legs again. He instinctively wrapped one leg around Zack’s waist, grateful that the other man held onto it. He whimpered at the feeling of fingers stretching him in a pleasurable manner, while a deep purr echoed in his ear. Zack’s nose touched the back of his hand and a tongue licked across his knuckles. His friend wanted that hand gone so he could claim him. But Cloud refused to have a rut-induced mistake happen before he even knew if he was pregnant.

The alpha removed his hand and hoisted him against the wall, making Cloud wrapped his other leg around his waist. The omega’s hand was covered in precum, which he tentatively licked from his fingers. Zack tasted it also with a low growl, as if there wasn’t enough for them. It was a strange, yet intimate moment between them, and Zack wished that Cloud fucking moved his hand so he could mark him. _Gods._

Cloud moaned at the feel of Zack hard cock nudging his entrance. Somehow, he was able to keep his balance in Zack’s arms as his cock quickly slid inside. He screamed from the intrusion and almost lowered his hand if it weren’t for the alpha growling in his ear.

“I will be the one to put a baby in you, Cloudy,” he murmured as he began thrusting with a grunt. “Gods, I can’t wait to claim you.”

“Knot me,” Cloud quickly said as his breath hitched with each precise thrust. “Alpha, please knot me!” He didn’t care if he sounded needy. His inner omega begged to feel the pain and pleasure of being knotted by a powerful alpha.

Zack bit the hand that remained in place. “Move it and you’ll get your wish.”

“N-No! Ah!” He felt teeth break skin and all he could do was cry out in pain. But he refused to drop it; he refused to allow Zack to make a terrible mistake. “Ow!”

The soldier moved faster, pounding the lithe blond against the wall. Slick mixed with his precum trailed down his thighs, and he lost all sense of reason at the sounds coming from his omega. He bit and gnawed at Cloud’s hand, but it wouldn’t move. “Move your _fucking_ hand!”

Cloud leaned forward and threw his arms around Zack’s shoulders, giving him access to the other side of his neck. “Here… bite…” He cried out when Zack’s cock brushed against his spot. “Zack!”

Even though he knew it wouldn’t change anything, even though he knew that he would do anything to bite Cloud’s scent gland, Zack did as suggested and bit Cloud’s shoulder. The feel of his teeth sinking into pale skin, followed by the taste of blood made him go wild. It wasn’t the bond mark, but it was the closest thing he could get for now. It would definitely leave a nasty scar for everyone to see, including Sephiroth.

Cloud screamed in pain, but the feel of his alpha’s cock relentlessly pounding into him was enough to overshadow the ache on his shoulder. The omega came seconds later, his cock spilling all over the soldier’s uniform. He cried Zack’s name over, and over, and over until his ass felt another uncomfortable stretch. _The knot._

Zack felt the base of his cock swell, and came right after Cloud. He groaned and held the blond in place as his knot prevented any more movement. All he could feel was pleasure; all he could smell was the rosy scent mixed with musk and blood. It smelled like heaven, and he buried his nose on the crook of Cloud’s neck, purring at the feel of his omega taking him so well. _You’re perfect for me._

The blond whimpered as they were locked in place. He heard so many knotting horror stories that gave him nightmares as a teenager. Yet his experience of getting an alpha’s knot for the first time in his life wasn’t as bad as they say. It made him feel a tiny bit nauseous—as he was warned in the past—but the more he focused his attention on Zack’s purrs and tiny licks on his bruised shoulder, the less uncomfortable he felt.

Cloud let out a feeble moan and wrapped his arms tighter around Zack’s neck, inhaling the honey scent and thankful that his alpha was calm enough to not move. Perhaps it was Zack doing the knotting and not some psycho alpha, or perhaps those people gave him extreme scenarios to scare him, but it wasn’t as horrible as he thought. He wondered if it would be the same once his heat arrived in a few months. Would Zack still have enough sense to not go crazy when in the presence of an omega in heat?

He started feeling sleepy, remembering what Sephiroth said to him the other day about alpha biology. Instead, he held his hand in front of him, inwardly sighing at the bloody teeth prints all over his skin. He lowered his hand and gasped in shock when glowing green eyes stared right back at him.


	10. Chapter Ten

“How in _gods’ _name did you manage to leave the Inn before your rut ended?” Sephiroth questioned in a low voice.

Zack turned around with Cloud still in his arms, giving the other alpha a wicked grin. “Because Cloudy is _my_ mate.”

Eyes flashing, the man snarled and rushed towards him with his fist in the air. Zack managed to dodge the impact and heard a loud crash next to him. He held onto Cloud as tightly as he could and shouted, “We’re still _joined_, for fuck’s sake!”

Sephiroth gritted his teeth as he spotted the blond burying his head in the crook of Zack’s neck. His eyes traveled down to where he could clearly see what Zack meant and wanted to rip them apart. Thankfully, he wasn’t _that_ pissed to do something so vile. “The nerve of you to think you can just knot him.”

“Cloud isn’t bound yet.”

“But he’s mated.”

“You really think he’s carrying your kid? It was his last day, Seph.” Zack nuzzled his sleepy omega, kissing him on the forehead and smirking back at the other person. “Get over yourself.”

Cloud wished that he had enough energy to yell at them, but Zack’s essence made him extremely tired. He also wondered amid this disaster if Zack’s rut made his ‘stuff’ more potent. “S-Stop…”

“Shh, I got you,” the dark-haired alpha whispered before glaring at the intruder in the room. “Leave, before we have security on our asses.”

Cloud prayed that he didn’t throw up, but Zack’s fidgeting didn’t help at all. The blond mustered the tiny bit of energy he had left and lifted his head to say, “I’m very nauseous because you keep moving around!”

“Don’t get mad at me! I’m not the one trying to rip you off my dick!”

Sephiroth blinked at them in surprise. Zack spoke as if his rut never happened. This should be his last day, yet he was very much— “How are you able to properly hold a conversation when you’re in the midst of an alpha-omega union?” Most alphas in rut hit a trance-like state where they remain quiet, unmoving, during the knotting process.

“You mean how am I self-aware when my knot is in Cloud’s ass?” He pondered his question before shrugging. “Beats me. I’ve been like this ever since I got bored with the betas.”

Cloud frowned. _Oh, that’s why he smells like them. _He did remember Aerith mentioning that there was a place for alphas to take their ruts out on betas. Cloud didn’t want to believe that Zack took advantage of it, but what else could an alpha do when his hormones overshadowed logic? “…” For some reason, hearing that made him jealous. Did Sephiroth use that place too?

Zack’s demeanor made no sense to Sephiroth because not only was he able to leave the Inn, but he located Cloud without being spotted by security. There’s no way an alpha could be that tactical in the middle of his rut. “How tedious.” He was annoyed at the fact that he couldn’t do anything while Cloud was stuck to Zack. He showed up right when it started, which meant there would be another several minutes or so before the blond was freed.

“Then why don’t you get us some towels and water while we wait?”

“Hmph.” He gave him a side-eye. “You’re ordering _me_ around?”

Cloud muttered, “Stop being stupid… both of you…”

The silver-haired alpha sighed and stepped closer to them. He ignored Zack’s glare and knelt behind Cloud. “You should always carry cure materia, Zack.” A gloved hand touched the omega’s back, and a faint green glow emitted onto pale skin. He tried not to grow angry again after watching bloody teeth prints on Cloud’s shoulder fade to pink scars.

He rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

Eventually, the knot shank and Zack carefully pulled out of Cloud. He froze when the blond let out a hoarse whimper. “You okay?” the alpha kissed his temple after his answer was a silent nod.

Sephiroth felt awkward watching at a knotted couple. Instead, he occupied his time in the kitchen reading one of Cloud’s books piled on the table. He should be pissed—losing control—but he remained quiet, all because he didn’t want to hurt Cloud. Maybe when they returned to HQ, he’d give Zack a piece of his mind, or even a piece of Masamune if he really wanted to express how he felt about this entire thing.

Green eyes spotted another book on the table with a title he’d never thought he’d see so soon. He carefully picked it up and opened it, thumbing through several pages. There were highlights over certain statements about nesting and pregnancy, along with scribbles next to pictures of pregnant omegas. He assumed that Cloud wanted to be prepared in case he would test positive next month. Sephiroth quickly closed the book, not in the right headspace to contemplate becoming a father. _Is this the only way I can keep you?_

Zack lifted Cloud bridal-style and walked towards the bathroom.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Bath.” Cloud was literally dripping cum on the floor.

Sephiroth followed after him. “I’ll go too just to make sure your mouth doesn’t wander near his scent gland again.”

Zack growled and tried to kick the door shut, but a hand caught it right before it closed. “Fucker.”

“Keep calling me names, Zack. I’ll be sure to remember them when we leave here.”

“I’m spending the night.”

“Excuse me?”

He removed the rest of his clothes and quickly yanked Cloud’s shirt off his body. He sighed at the scent of roses and almost groped his now-unconscious omega. “You heard me. I’m not leaving Cloudy after I knotted him. I need to make sure he’s okay when he wakes up.” _You know, like alphas are supposed to do._

“I think you’ve done enough.”

With a pause, he then turned to him with a frown. “You’re not leaving either, aren’t you?”

“Hmph.” Sephiroth removed his coat and tossed it to the corner of the bathroom as his answer.

The two alphas spent the next half hour glaring and growling at each other. At one point, Zack almost dropped Cloud close to the side of the tub, earning him another lecture about being careless. Sometimes Zack would run his soapy hands down the omega’s back as a taunt towards Sephiroth, but the man would counter with kissing Cloud’s shoulder after dabbing his skin with a wet towel. Sephiroth made sure that Zack never knew about the hidden scent gland on Cloud’s inner thigh. The blond may be naturally designed for it, but there was no way they could simply share the same omega.

Somehow, they bathed Cloud without killing each other and were now arguing over who should sleep with him. The blond slept in the middle of the bed, but the little space on either side of him was their new challenge. “This bed isn’t big enough for the three of us,” Sephiroth said as he stood in front of it with his arms folded across his chest. He only wore his leather pants, which he will later lose once he snuggled next to Cloud.

“You should leave then.”

“There is a chance that he’s pregnant. I don’t want to risk another alpha attempting to claim my omega.”

“I’ve known him since we were kids, Seph. You being around so much will make him worry over something that _won’t_ be happening anytime soon.”

The two alphas were locked in death-glares. Neither one of them uttered another thinly-veiled insult in fear of waking Cloud, and alerting security that they were trespassing in the omega sector. Sephiroth had access privileges, but he had to notify his superiors ahead of time or else they would revoke his access in a heartbeat. Thankfully, he hasn’t encountered any issues since Cloud arrived, but he worried about the device on the blond’s ankle. Did Cloud’s body temp ever spike again? If so, why hasn’t the Science Department said anything?

After nearly thirty minutes of huffs and more pointed looks, the two alphas managed to slip in the bed, practically molding their bodies against the small omega. Their faces were closer than they’d like, which caused both men to turn their backs on each other with annoyed grunts.

* * *

“_Mommy!”_

Cloud woke to the mixed smell of something sweet. The scents made him feel nostalgic, causing him to let out a light purr and bury his nose against warm flesh. He assumed the unknown person was Zack, with the way his body smelled like honey. However, he also smelled vanilla and opened his eyes to see nothing but black hair in his sleepy view.

_ Maybe they hugged or something_… because he washed his sheets when Sephiroth was last here. Though, he definitely remembered everyone at Seventh Heaven mentioning that he smelled more like him than Zack. Strange.

Confused, he lifted his head and saw that Zack was still asleep with his back to him. The omega sat up and pushed the covers down only to see a pale arm slumped in his lap. He turned to the other occupant and felt his mouth fall open.

Sephiroth?!

Cloud buried his hands in his hair as he glanced back and forth between the two occupants. _Sephiroth and Zack are in my bed?! Two alphas are sleeping with me?! How in Gaia’s name did it come down to this? _Looking around the room, he realized that this was definitely his bedroom. But exactly what happened that made two alphas sleep together with him? Oh yeah, Zack came over and…

_I got knotted._

First off, why wasn’t he scared when he knew what alphas in their rut cycles were capable of doing? Most omegas would run, but Cloud didn’t move from his spot. In fact, he welcomed Zack the second he caught a whiff of his pheromones. The alpha was really freaking hot and pushy and… He wrapped his arms around his waist as an attempt to calm his nerves.

None of this made any sense. His body’s reaction was instant, as if it knew exactly what the alpha wanted. But… how did Zack manage to hold a conversation without losing his mind within the presence of an omega? Cloud was always taught that alphas show more of their primitive sides while in rut. Zack, however, spoke to him like nothing was out of the ordinary—outside of being more aggressive.

Then Sephiroth showed up out of the blue looking mega pissed, and then… Cloud drew a complete blank when he tried to recall the rest of the events. He remembered Zack and Sephiroth on the verge of a two-person war before he passed out.

How in Shiva’s name could he get out of this predicament? Damn his brain for tricking him into believing that he could keep seeing them at different times! In fact, why didn’t he stop this before it escalated into a—

“Cloud?” Sephiroth murmured.

The blond stared at him in shock, quickly reminded that he was still in bed with two alphas. “H-Hi…” Should he run? Should he contact Aerith and ask for that escape route?

The silver-haired soldier rose from the pillow and carefully watched him, gazing into those beautiful wide eyes. Cloud’s expression was almost laughable. He looked frightened— practically jumpy—as they silently stared at each other. A pale hand lifted to cup Cloud’s cheek, and the omega quickly grabbed it before kissing the tips of his fingers.

“_But if you do receive the call, what will you do?_” Angeal’s question floated around his thoughts.

Sephiroth laced their fingers together, catching his breath when the petite blond smiled at him.

_ Then he will be mine._

A tanned hand gripped his wrist, and he glared at the other man in the bed. “A shame that you are still here.” He withdrew his hand.

“I thought you would leave first since you’re so important to Shinra,” Zack replied, scooting closer to Cloud.

Startled by Zack’s presence, Cloud shook his head. The second Sephiroth looked at him, all of his worries vanished. “Guys, please do not start the day with this…”

Zack rolled his eyes. “I mean, I was here first.”

Sephiroth replied, “But I was his first alpha, so I’d really like to know what you mean by that.”

“I meant that I was his first knotting experience.” He smirked when his superior frowned at him. “You got a front row seat as a reminder that you’re too slow.”

Cloud slapped his hands over their mouths. “Shut _up_!” He glanced back and forth between them. “_Both_ of you!”

The silver-haired alpha brushed his hand away and asked, “Have you decided who would be your mate?”

“Mate?”

“A pair,” he tossed his hair behind his shoulder, annoyed with himself over not braiding it before he slept. “I asked you, and I think I’ve waited long enough for your answer.”

_It’s been like two days… _“Uh, Seph? At least wait until the pregnancy test comes back…”

Zack pulled Cloud to his chest and propped his head over spiky blond hair. “Ohhh, he’s callin’ you Seph now, huh? That desperate to make him yours?”

“He’s already mine.” Sephiroth sounded so sure of himself.

Cloud had enough of this alpha ego crap. He slipped from Zack’s arms and climbed out of the bed before one of them could grab his leg. The blond marched right into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, locking it. They could probably break in if they wanted to, but he’d be even more pissed and tell them to shove it. He just wasn’t in the mood to deal with ego trips when he should be worried about the million other things going on such as getting knotted by his childhood friend, and later waking up in bed with the two men who were fighting over him.

Cloud approached the mirror and gazed at his reflection. He ran his fingers over his shoulder, where Zack bit him, and was disappointed that there was hardly a scar there. In fact, it looked as though he healed it overnight, which would be impossible. He definitely recalled Zack doing more than nibbling his skin. Cloud brought his other hand in front of him and frowned at the faded teeth prints. Well, now he wouldn’t have to worry about giving an explanation once he saw the girls at Seventh Heaven again. He had a feeling Aerith and Yuffie would never let it go if the bruises were worse than he thought.

Someone knocked on the door and Sephiroth’s voice called his name.

“Go away!” the blond exclaimed before sitting on the toilet lid. He buried his head in his hands and hoped the alpha would do as such.

Sephiroth pressed his forehead against the door. “Please, Cloud, what’s wrong?”

That was the question that needed to be said for him to get even angrier. “_Everything_ is wrong! Why are you guys asking me to be your mate when we hardly know each other?!” Well, he knew Zack, but after that seven-year hiatus, he wasn’t so sure anymore. Best friends don’t have sex with each other, no matter how much he tried to lie to himself. Everything moved too fast for him and he didn’t like it.

“Because we are interested in you,” he said as a matter of fact. “You should be honored.”

Cloud wondered—seriously wondered—if Sephiroth realized how he sounded just now. “I just want this pregnancy test over and done with so I can stop worrying over my future!”

Zack placed a hand on the other alpha’s shoulder and muttered, “Let me talk to him.” Sephiroth stepped to the side and the dark-haired alpha leaned against the bathroom door. As someone who dealt with Crybaby Cloudy back home, this wasn’t anything new to him. Cloud always locked himself in the bathroom whenever he was upset, and Zack would always persuade him with small promises. “Hey, Cloudy, listen… I’m sorry I got carried away last night.”

Cloud completely forgot about the fact that his butt didn’t hurt _at all_. He felt his face grow hot and he turned away from the mirror to face the damp bathtub. _Wait, did they bathe me last night?!_ “I-It’s… not about that at all…” _I enjoyed it_.

“What—”

“Did you not hear what I just _said_?!” He wanted to throw something at the door, but he wasn’t a kid anymore. “I’m tired of you two fighting over me when I didn’t want to be found in the first place! I hope to every higher power that Seph didn’t get me pregnant because I just got here and I’m not ready to be a Soldier-making factory for a corrupt company!” He was mad about his situation and the fact that there was probably no way out of Midgar. _Let me breathe._

Zack sighed and glanced over at Sephiroth, who frowned hard at the doorknob. He was probably debating if he should break it open or not. _I told you that your constant presence would worry him._ “Just, calm down. Let’s wait until the test comes back before we jump to any conclusions.”

“Who’s this ‘we’ you speak of?” Sephiroth finally said.

He held up a finger. “I promise I will try my best to keep my ego in check, okay? I didn’t mean to anger you.” His voice shifted to that very tone he only used with Cloud. It had been a long time since he altered his pitch in a soft, yet light-hearted, manner. “You know I will protect you from Shinra, no matter what it takes.”

“Don’t you find this weird, Zack? Why am I so obsessed with both you and Seph, anyway? I should be more terrified that I’m in Midgar under their watch.” After that one time exploring the city and encountering rogue alphas, he didn’t feel safe anymore. Yet, Zack and Sephiroth made him forget that he was now living near the den of alphas. It didn’t make any sense… unless it was because Sephiroth already mated with him, and Zack he knew from childhood. Even then, it shouldn’t be this _simple_.

With a low growl, Sephiroth pushed Zack to the side and wiggled the doorknob hard enough until it broke. He ignored the other man’s protest and pushed the door open. Cloud stood there startled with his pretty blues looking back at him in confusion.

The silver-haired alpha took wide steps closer to the blond and stared down at him. All he could smell was jasmine— the scent that brought him to Cloud when he first arrived in Nibelheim. “You feel it too, don’t you?” he whispered.

Cloud silently nodded, somehow understanding the vague question. “I don’t like it.”

“I think,” he glanced back at Zack, who tilted his head to the side. Green eyes landed back to the omega and his hand cupped a soft cheek once again. “That you want to be afraid.” He could definitely relate to fighting something that forced him out of character. Yet, if the cause of it was the person standing in front of him, well…

Hypnotized by those bright green eyes, the blond felt his inner omega purr at the familiar scent of such a powerful alpha standing before him. He stifled a moan and leaned into that warm hand, eyes drooping as if a sleep spell was casted on him. _What are you doing to me?_ Cloud felt calmer, almost sedated, at the smell and feel of Sephiroth.

Zack pinched the bridge of his nose when Seph’s pheromones became overwhelmingly stronger with each passing minute. “Tone it down, man. I’m getting nauseous over here.”

He wanted to tell him to leave the room, but remembered Cloud’s frustration over their arguments. Instead, he drew the blond into an embrace and smiled when he nuzzled his naked chest. “Let’s go back to bed, Cloud.”

The dark-haired alpha glanced off to the side with a huff. Maybe he should have emitted his calming pheromones too, instead of using the method that probably wasn’t as effective on adult Cloudy as it used to be for baby Cloudy.

Later that day, Cloud was left breathless after receiving more passionate kisses from both alphas. He felt dizzy after Zack pulled back with a smirk and wiped away the tiny trail of spit from his chin.

“So cute,” the alpha murmured, ignoring the forty-fifth death glare from Sephiroth.

Cloud let out a shaky breath. “What the hell…” First, he cooked breakfast for them and now they were leaving for work. At this rate, he will be a housewife by the end of next week.

“I’ll be back later.” He will have to come up with a valid excuse just in case Heidegger was told about his disappearance from the Inn. Now that he smelled like Cloud, he needed to also take a long bath before he returned to his office.

“Later as in…?” Because he planned to visit Seventh Heaven again.

Zack shrugged his shoulders. “Soldier schedules are pretty fucked.”

Sephiroth asked, “Did you have plans?”

“Sorta…” Cloud looked off to the side and rubbed his arm. “But I don’t want them to interfere with our time together.” Even though he hated the idea of waiting patiently for his alphas, he really enjoyed their short time together. Their personalities contrasted, but they were very much alike when it came to his safety. Both reassured him that they would keep their meetings a secret and work behind the scenes on ensuring his next heat wouldn’t be with complete strangers. Cloud knew that Zack didn’t lie, and Sephiroth didn’t seem the type to make false promises.

“It’s alright, Cloud. What’s important is that you take the time to explore the sector.” After all, if it wasn’t for curiosity then he wouldn’t have known about the encounter with Genesis. What if there was a way to bring Angeal here and see if he would react the same way to Cloud’s pheromones?

The blond thanked them, grateful that they didn’t pry too much into his free time. He promised everyone at the bar that he didn’t tell anyone about their conversations. They wanted to remain rather secretive in the public eye.

Zack sensed that something else was bothering Cloud, but he figured that could wait until the blond was ready to talk. “Well, I’ll see ya later, Cloudy.”

Cloud watched them leave and then shouted, “W-Wait!” At the curious looks, he dropped his gaze and quietly asked, “H-How many betas were there…?” He shouldn’t question someone’s sex life like that, but he had to know how easy it was for alphas to find any willing partner without worrying about getting marked.

Sephiroth and Zack exchanged silent glances, but it was Zack who answered, “More than I wanna say.” He regretted ever mentioning them around an omega. It was honestly very insulting to compare sex partners like that.

“Did you… like it?”

“Yes and no.”

“Will you keep seeing them whenever your ruts come?”

Sephiroth had an idea where this conversation headed. Although he stopped visiting the Inn long before he met Cloud, he had to know the omega’s true feelings. “Does it bother you?”

“Yeah,” Cloud felt a blush form on his cheeks. “I-It’s none of my business knowing what unpaired alphas do, but I don’t like smelling them on you…” _It makes me feel like an afterthought. _

The dark-haired alpha closed his eyes in shame. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I kinda think that I shouldn’t chastise you for something out of your control.”

Sephiroth stepped closer to him. “Then do you offer yourself instead?”

“Huh?!” Zack exclaimed. “Seph, that’s—”

“Yes,” Cloud quietly replied. He met green eyes and added, “My lack of… sexual knowledge shouldn’t be the reason you keep seeing other people.”

“Hmph.” He brushed back loose blond strands. “Be careful what you say, Cloud. You may not like he result.”

“I can take it. I mean, I took Zack just fine.”

“But I’m not Zack.”

At the heavy implication behind those words, Cloud licked his lips and broke his gaze again. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried not to let his mind wander in the middle of a serious conversation. “I’m not a beta, either.”

Zack wasn’t sure if he should be more pissed over Cloud and Sephiroth practically flirting with each other right in front of him; or the fact that he was slightly turned on at the idea of watching Sephiroth knot Cloud. The imagery of a writhing blond crying out in pain should disgust him, not force a twisted desire from the depths of his subconscious.

_I can't believe I wanna cooperate this soon._


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. I haven't forgotten about this fic. It's tricky switching my brain from modern AUs to omegaverse AUs

Aerith was hesitant on teaching Cloud dance basics until she knew the results of his pregnancy test, but he insisted that he get a hobby outside of sitting in his apartment all day. Plus, he was tired of waiting for Zack and Seph to visit him. After convincing his alphas to let him breathe for more than five minutes, he needed to do something fun to distract his thoughts. He still longed to explore the city again, but after that incident, he didn’t want to be bothered with another alpha harassment.

During break, Cloud wiped his sweaty face with a towel. The bar was still closed to customers, giving everyone time to practice their dance routines before they had to open for the next party. Every now and then Barret and Tifa opened the bar for regular business, but outside of that, it remained closed to the public in order to prepare for the next dance.

Cloud hear Barret growl at a piece of paper. “Uh, you okay?” he quietly asked.

Barret turned to him, still looking mighty pissed as he balled up the paper and threw it in the trash. But upon one glance at the startled blond, his expression softened. He was told several times that his anger scared a lot of the omegas away, and his large stature was quite intimidating to others. Tifa recently helped him stifle his temper with meditation techniques. The alpha slowly counted to five before finally replying with, “Just got a letter from someone.”

He tilted his head to the side, waiting for him to continue. When nothing else was said, he asked, “Is… it bad?”

He let out a deep sigh and shook his head. “An alpha buddy of mine was able to escape Soldier. He also asked me to help an omega too.”

Cloud still wasn’t sure what that meant. It sounded sincere, but Barret’s demeanor made it difficult to determine if there was something else on his mind. “…And?”

“And I REFUSE to do it!” he shouted, tossing his arms in the air.

He flinched at the sudden change in his voice. “Why?”

“BECAUSE! He was against Seventh Heaven for the LONGEST time! Calling it Don Corneo’s secondary temple, or whatever the hell he said.” At first, Barret wasn’t sure about the dances either because he knew alphas have little self-control. However, the amount of gil they earned each month made him reconsider. As long as he has his guard up _and _enforced the rules of no unmated alphas without a mated escort, then they should be fine.

_Don who?_ “So he asked you to help her even though he didn’t agree to your methods before?”

“Precisely!”

“Hm, I think you should do it.”

Barret gave him an annoyed look. “Taking sides with someone you don’t know?!”

He shrank back from his gaze. This man is _very_ big and _very_ loud, but the girls insisted that he wasn’t a bad alpha. Besides, Barret was the only alpha he encountered who didn’t get aroused in the presence of an omega. That Genesis guy was a close second, but he still felt weird after their interaction. “People can change their opinions you know.”

“I just think it’s funny that he changed his so-called opinion_ right_ when he needed my help!”

“There are those who need a reality check to help them change their minds.” Zack and Sephiroth supported his statement. Those two were close to having a death match just last night. Now they were willing to cooperate with each other until he decided who he wanted for his mate. Cloud sensed that something else was going on between those two because alphas didn’t like to share.

“Then how about I give him another reality check?” he raised his hand in the air and curled it into a fist.

Cloud snorted and wiped lingering sweat from his brow. “You’re still gonna help him, aren’t you?”

“… Yeah.”

Even after all of that yelling, he still had a soft heart. Barret is like a giant bear: scary on the outside, soft on the inside. Too bad every other alpha was scary inside _and_ out; but Zack and Sephiroth were exceptions—especially Seph, who claimed to lead Soldier. “I actually wanna ask you something. Were you also in Soldier since you’re an alpha?”

Barret tried not to think back to his time there. He remembered the horrible things they put him through, including the mating schedule. “Yeah, but I didn’t show interest in omegas. They thought something was wrong with me… made me visit that stupid laboratory for ‘tests’ as they called it.” He grimaced after thinking about one scientist in particular. “When they couldn’t find anything wrong with my biology, they kicked me out because I was considered a defect.”

Cloud felt sorry for him. That explained a lot behind his motivations for his cause. He was already given a summary behind Seventh Heaven’s true purpose, but to hear that Barret has more experience with Shinra and was against their rules made it much easier to trust him. “I don’t know what to say…”

The alpha scratched the top of his head. “That’s in the past now. All I can do is help those in need, including my stupid friend.” He really didn’t want to do it, but the letter was written in an emotional manner. He suspected that the omega was a fated mate given the urgency. Fated pairs have a hard time with physical distance—mated or not.

Cloud gave him a small smile. “Is that how you met Tifa when you left?”

He stiffened and looked elsewhere. “U-Uh we’ve known each other while I was still in Soldier…”

“Huh?” His smile faded. Then how old was Tifa? She looked to be around his age, and Barret looked around Seph’s age, maybe older. “How long has it been since you left Soldier?”

“Not that long actually…” Barret rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his cheeks tingle from the constant questioning about her.

One of the distinct characteristics that separated Soldiers from others was their glowing eyes. Barret’s eyes didn’t glow. “What—”

The alpha decided that this topic was done. “Anyway! Ever since you waltzed in here, you’ve been reeking of alphas!”

Cloud was confused by the sudden shift in the conversation, but the redirection to his personal problems irritated him. “Huh? I took a shower this morning!” He sniffed his shirt. After Zack and Sephiroth left, he took another bath just to avoid questions. None of the girls said anything, unless they didn’t want to tease him just yet.

He studied the blond for a moment before frowning at the scar on his shoulder. “What happened to you? Was that there before?”

The omega immediately covered the fading scar and looked down at the floor. “It’s nothing…”

Barret walked over to him and smacked his hand away. He took a few sniffs, ignoring the small shudder from the blond. His eyes lingered on the teeth prints that were not just typical hickeys. Somebody got too comfortable marking Cloud to the point that he broke skin. Thankfully, he didn’t hit that scent gland, but this was a message to anyone wanting Cloud: _Don’t touch. _“Who did this to you?”

Why the hell did this man care when this is their second conversation? “It’s complicated.”

The alpha gripped his wrist even tighter, spotting the teeth prints on his hand. “Is there something going on that you need to tell me?”

“That _hurts_!” When Barret released his hand, he took a few steps back and said, “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m gonna worry about you because you’re an omega foolin’ around with a bunch of alphas!”

The girls must have told him. “It’s fine. They took care of me, alright?”

“You’re not covering for them, are you?”

Cloud frowned at him and then realized what he implied. “No, it’s not like that at all.” Though, many people would disagree given that Zack suddenly showed up in the middle of his rut cycle.

“Then tell me what’s going on since you’re so confident that two alphas care about you.”

For some reason he felt insulted. “Barret, give it a rest.”

“Your hand and neck have teeth prints, kid.”

“Zack and Sephiroth are _not _like that!” he shouted. “Don’t you dare insult my alphas that way!”

Barret was surprised at the outburst, but more surprised that Cloud name-dropped a certain soldier. “Did you say Sephiroth?”

He placed a hand on his chest, steadying his breathing. Why was he so angry at an honest misunderstanding? And why was his heart beating so fast? “…”

Aerith told him that Cloud was involved with two alphas, but she never mentioned that _Sephiroth_ was one of them. “How are you catching Sephiroth’s interest when he was trained to resist omegas?”

_“He is trained to resist all omega pheromones. Yet you were able to bring him to his knees. How?”_ That same question came up over and over and _over _to the point that he could predict when someone would ask him. “If I had an answer to that, I probably wouldn’t be here.” Why did he have this feeling that Shinra kept him here not only because of their stupid rule, but because they found his relationship with Sephiroth to be unique? Once that pregnancy test came back negative (which he still believes will happen) they will probably do something weird. He could sense it from a mile away, given that they’ve been eerily silent since he moved into his temporary home.

And there was nothing he could do about it.

The girls immediately ran over to them. Tifa guided Barret back, whispering for him to calm down. Instead of being shocked and disgusted, Yuffie and Aerith started screaming in excitement after seeing faded teeth prints on Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud knew he should have worn a high collar shirt before walking into Seventh Heaven. The blond sunk to the floor with a pout as they hovered around him while pointing and giggling.

“Somebody’s been sneaking alphas into his home!” Yuffie exclaimed.

“…” he pouted even harder while trying not to blush. He was angry, embarrassed, and suddenly wanted to go home and hide underneath his blankets.

“Is this the same one who probably knocked you up?”

Cloud blushed when he remembered his request for his alphas to take their rut cycles out on him. That’s probably the worst decision he’s ever made in his short life, but he did not want to smell betas on them ever again. “N-No…”

Aerith giggled. “Oh-ho! That’s why I smelled two alphas on you earlier!” With a grin, she knelt next to him and added, “The same ones from the other day, in fact.”

He sighed. “Yeah, so? I told y’all that I’m in a weird predicament.”

“That’s not weird, that’s _hot_!” Yuffie put her hands on her hips. “They’re taking turns banging you—” Then she had a dirty thought. “Or, maybe not so much as taking turns…”

The brunette met her devious grin with a smirk of her own. “It seems that our favorite country boy is settling into the city life just fine!”

Cloud buried his head in his hands and whined. “Stop it! Both of you!” He felt dizzy from all the blushing.

“At this rate, you’ll be pregnant with all the sex you’re having. Forget mating cycles, you’re having sex every night!”

“Would you two just knock it off?!”

Barret said, “How are you girls not worried about him? One of those alphas is Sephiroth! _The_ Sephiroth!”

Yuffie snorted and waved his warnings away. “All you alphas are the same. You take one good whiff at us and you come crawling to our places with your dicks out.”

“SEPHIROTH THOUGH?!” he emphasized with gestures. “He’s never shown interest in omegas all his life! What makes Cloud any different?!”

“Well, for starters, he’s a male omega. I don’t think Shinra prepared their greatest Soldier for _that_.”

Cloud looked at Yuffie. She made a lot of sense just now. Maybe it was that simple after all… however, “How does that explain Zack?”

They looked at him with equally confused expressions. It was Tifa who said, “What do you mean?”

He told them everything leading up to today. He carefully watched their expressions as they remained silent. Aerith looked intrigued, Yuffie seemed doubtful, but Tifa and Barret looked like they knew something. “S-Sorry if it was a bit too much information, but I don’t have anyone to talk to about this…”

“I have a _lot _of questions,” Aerith said with a deep frown on her face.

“I’ve heard about this once,” Yuffie said. “I had a friend who secretly saw a Soldier—like you—and she told me that he showed up at her doorstep in the middle of his rut cycle. Later, when her heat came, his rut happened at the same time. It’s like they synced for that very reason.”

Cloud’s heart skipped several beats when he caught onto her hints. “My heat cycle is seasonal. I doubt _that_ will happen…” Though, he wasn’t entirely sure when weird stuff kept happening to all three of them.

Aerith silently watched Tifa and Barret, making mental notes as Tifa squeezed his arm. “You also said that you have a second scent gland appear out of nowhere.” She looked back at Cloud.

Yuffie made a surprised sound. “What? Where?” She leaned closer to him and sniffed. “I only smell alphas though…”

“Um, my inner thigh,” he said as he drew his knees to his chest. He checked again after his bath and definitely felt it.

The brunette casted another glance at the silent couple in the room before giving Cloud her full attention, “Yeah, but it showed up when you came here, right? What if this is all perfect timing for something else?” Barret and Tifa still haven’t said anything, which made her frown and say, “What do you guys think?”

Tifa jumped from her question and let out a shaky breath. “He—er—they are…” she looked at Barret, who nodded, “A fated pair, or threesome in his case.”

Cloud looked confused. Maybe his circumstances _weren’t_ that simple. Genesis briefly mentioned a similar phrase that day, but he also said it was a myth. Cloud looked for the terms in the books he purchased and there was barely anything worth reading. He may have learned a few new things about alpha and omega biology, but the rest were just things he already knew when he lived in Nibelheim. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means that you are connected to Zack and Sephiroth on another level. Think about the word ‘soulmates’.”

“Soulmates?” he repeated. “You mean like we’re supposed to be together by divine timing, or something?”

She nodded. “Like Yuffie, we’ve seen this happen with a few omegas we’ve rescued. Everything you’ve described is very familiar, only that you have two mates in this situation.”

Cloud looked at her in disbelief. Is that why Zack switched from his childhood friend to lover in one day? Or the fact that he showed up at his doorstep mid-rut? And a second scent gland appeared out of nowhere ever since he crossed paths with Sephiroth? And Sephiroth… Cloud buried his head in his hands. “Gods…” Now he had an answer to Barret’s question earlier. “The reason I am able to affect Sephiroth is because I’m his fated mate?” Saying it out loud made him nauseous. There’s no way in hell this was real.

_“You feel it too, don’t you?” _Sephiroth’s words echoed in his mind.

_“I don’t like it.” _He remembered telling him.

_ “I think… that you want to be afraid.” _

Did Sephiroth figure all this out too, or was he just saying things based on assumptions? Zack hasn’t said much about their relationship, but his behavior changed ever since they found each other for the first time in years. Granted, he only remembered Zack right up until he presented as an alpha; so maybe he’s gotten more aggressive since then. However, most alphas displayed their violent nature as early as three years old. Zack, on the other hand, was an alpha who rarely ever got violent unless someone tried to bully him. But ever since he learned about Sephiroth, he’s acting more like an alpha and less like the childhood friend.

“Cloud?” Aerith called as she placed a hand on his back. “You okay?”

“I…” he swallowed the lump in his throat, “…need to lie down.” He felt dizzy all of the sudden.

Tifa said, “Yuffie, take him to one of the rooms. I’ll be right after you.”

Yuffie did as instructed, turning down Aerith’s offer for help. “I’m stronger than I look.”

Once the two disappeared behind the door, the brunette turned to Tifa and Barret. Their expressions were somber, as if somebody just died. “Is there something else going on?”

Barret let out a tired sigh. “Fated pairs are difficult.”

“How so? I think it’s sweet.”

“To _you_, maybe, but Shinra’s mating schedule doesn’t discriminate.” It didn’t matter if those three were meant to be together. Zack will continue to be forced to mate with omegas until one of them is with child. And if Cloud is carrying Sephiroth’s child, his life would rest on Shinra’s shoulders. There was no way Shinra would ignore Sephiroth’s descendant.

Barret wondered if the two alphas realized this as well.

* * *

_Somebody_ fucking ratted on him anyway.

Zack glared at his phone when he saw the message from Heidegger to visit the Science Department for a ‘brief questionnaire.’ The only reason they are doing this out of the blue is because some dumbass at Honeybee Inn opened their big mouth after he left. Maybe he should have been more serious about his threats when he told them not to say a word. At least he didn’t have a Turk follow his trail, or else he would never see Cloud again.

Upon returning to HQ, Angeal asked him twelve different ways how he willingly left the inn. Zack said that he got bored of betas, but the explanation wasn’t enough for his mentor.

“That shouldn’t matter, Zack,” Angeal said with a puzzled expression. “Our rut cycles prevent us from thinking about… other partners—or anything for that matter.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe they just weren’t that good.” He caught the disgusted look on his face and let out a laugh. “I’m totally joking, man.”

“This doesn’t sound like you. Ever since Cloud came into the picture, you’ve been acting more… like an alpha.”

“That’s because I _am_ one.” He folded his hands behind his head and paced beside him. “Cloudy is back in my life and I need to be more assertive if that means I can have him.” He refused to leave him behind again. After what he learned about the omega’s first heat cycle, and then Sephiroth getting to him first, Zack vowed to be there for Cloud during his next cycle.

“You’re competing against Sephiroth.”

He stopped and glared at him. “So? I don’t care if all of Soldier lines up to fuck Cloud; he won’t get pregnant by anyone but me.”

“Please tone down your language. You’re worse than Gen at this point.” Genesis was the reigning champion of having no verbal filter.

“Fine. But my point still stands. I’ll do whatever it takes to have him.” Even if it meant cooperating with Sephiroth. Though, he really couldn’t wait to watch Sephiroth knot Cloud. Perhaps he should indulge in foreplay once Seph showed signs of his rut cycle starting. Cloudy still had a lot to learn about sex, and Sephiroth in rut may be too much for him. He heard from Genesis that Sephiroth can get pretty rough, but Angeal’s presence helped. Zack has never been with Sephiroth, nor has the desire to do anything intimate, but if it would protect Cloud then he would stifle his pride. Funny how just a couple of weeks ago, he wanted to form a bond with Seph.

A new message notification brought him back to his current state. His leave of absence ended, meaning that he needed to report to the office and pretend to work. But first, he had to visit the Science Department. Hojo will make him anemic again with all the pointless blood samples. He might as well be a registered blood donor.

Tossing the phone to the other end of the bed, he thought about Cloud again. Hopefully he wasn’t in too much pain after last night. He seemed fine during breakfast, but Zack felt a little guilty that he knotted Cloud without much warning.

Ah, but he smelled so good and looked so cute standing against the wall like that. The fear in his eyes when an alpha approached him completely melted all rationale. Zack wanted nothing else but to be inside Cloud at that very moment.

The alpha removed his glove with his teeth and spat it out. His bare hand unzipped his pants and pulled his stiff cock from beneath his underwear. The Science Department can wait; he needed to rub one out before his libido was destroyed the second he stepped off the elevator.

His mind wandered back to last night. He wished he had more time with Cloud, but at least he gave him a taste of an alpha in rut. Zack remembered the lust seeping through the fear when he tore the omega’s pants. Cloud totally wanted it, even though he’s never felt an alpha’s knot before. Zack could almost taste his anticipation the moment he recalled soft hands wrapping around his dick.

The alpha glanced at his nightstand and mentally cursed himself when he forgot to restock on lube. Instead, he licked his palm and focused more on playing with the head of his cock. Precum spread across his wet hand, easing his movements. Zack wanted Cloud again, but he wasn’t sure if he would have the energy to leave HQ afterwards. For now, he compromised with his imagination.

If he had all night with Cloud, he’d start by licking all over his rosy-scented skin. His tongue would tickle his belly button, earning a giggle and hands grabbing his hair. Zack would look up at the pretty blond—cock hard and slick pooling onto the bed. His scent would saturate the bedroom and drive Zack’s inner alpha wild.

Cloudy’s body temperature would spike from passion, his flushed skin covered in sweat from their foreplay. Zack imagined soft cries filling the room as his omega felt a tongue lap at his entrance. His fingers would stretch him open, preparing him for his alpha’s cock.

“_Alpha… Please knot me…” _Zack never forgot those words for as long as he breathed.

He imagined entering Cloud from behind, giving him easier access to his neck. Cloud would be so wet that he’d accept his cock without much resistance. Zack would then pound Cloud onto the bed, watching his cock become coated with slick. The alpha would lick up Cloud’s spine all the way to his scent gland.

_“Make me yours, alpha,”_ Cloud whispered.

Upon the thought of sinking his canines into Cloud’s neck, Zack came with a low groan, rocking his hips to his strokes. Cum spilled onto the sheets and he bit down hard on his pillow as he had a gut-wrenching orgasm from the mere thought of fucking Cloud again.

_“I’m yours.”_

Taking deep breaths, the alpha felt his heart pound against his chest. Cloud completely took over his thoughts to the point that it became obsessive.

Why?

Why did he feel such a way towards his childhood friend? And why did he have to make peace with Seph when neither one of them desired to share Cloud? If only he found Cloud first, then none of this would have happened. Cloud would already be his—pregnant or not.

Zack brushed back his bangs with his clean hand and rolled over onto his back. He felt something wet on his upper lip and brought a hand to it. His indigo eyes widened at the sight of blood. Never in his life had he developed a nosebleed after masturbating.

_Have I finally lost my mind?_


	12. Chapter Twelve

Sephiroth flinched when Genesis slammed a book on top of his desk. Briefly closing his eyes in annoyance, he slowly turned away from the computer monitor and gave him his coldest gaze. “Can I help you?”

“I know what’s going on,” he replied. After spending all night searching for information about bond marks, and hitting dead ends when it came to alpha-alpha bonds, one of the books he purchased the other day had statements that needed to be brought to his friend’s attention. The wording gave him enough incentive to believe that something was definitely going on with Zack and Sephiroth. And to think that he was right with his half-assed guesses about fated pairs…

“Congratulations.”

Genesis had three snarky replies already on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he rolled his eyes and quickly flipped through the pages, pausing at the chapter of interest. “Here. Read this.” He turned the book around.

Sephiroth scowled at the dust floating in his face. The book smelled like it sat on library shelves longer than the President has been alive. He sighed and read the passages, squinting at the faded print:

> _—Although extremely rare, this phenomenon was only found in alpha-omega pairs. Based on an interview of ten of the described pairs, the following consists of recurring signs of what we describe as soulmate connections. Please note that the listed signs vary upon alpha-omega pairs:_

  1. _ Immediate sexual attraction. Note that this attraction is not only related to scent, but also physical closeness._

  1. _ Dreams/hallucinations about the sound of their voice, or their physical forms. This was more prevalent in the alphas interviewed. Physical distance was a factor in recurring dreams. It is unclear whether this also occurred before the pairs first met._

  1. _ Displaying strong emotions regarding their mates—often confused with mating cycle symptoms, and can interfere with work, school, etc. This is also more prevalent in the alphas interviewed._

  1. _ A strong need to reproduce with their fated partner. We were given permission to add that these pairs originally had no desire for children until first interaction with each other._

Sephiroth looked at Genesis in shock. The four listed signs happened to him in one week, and _in that order._ “That’s impossible.”

His friend gestured at the book and said, “Read that last one and tell me if you’re still doubtful.”

Green eyes slowly read the last line, his eyebrows raising as he got to the end.

> _5\. Omegas in heat can induce their soulmates’ ruts. However, alphas in rut do not induce omegas’ heat cycles._

He quickly shook his head and pushed the book towards Genesis. “Mating cycles are predictable, yes, but never have they _synched_…” If that were the case, then his rut cycle would have appeared in Nibelheim. Though, he remembered hearing about certain alphas having that fifth sign happen to them when they were selected to mate with an omega.

“Really? Then how is it that Zack’s rut shows up unexpectedly after meeting Cloud, who was in heat when you met him?" He also overheard Heidegger’s flustered remarks when he learned that Zack left the Inn early. “And tell me why you two came back to HQ together smelling like the same omega?”

He shot another glare at him, knowing his expressions wouldn’t intimidate his best friend. “…” He let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead, telling him everything that happened since they last spoke.

Genesis quirked a brow out of curiosity. In one day’s time, Seph had an entire season of drama worth sharing. “You _willingly _shared a bed with another alpha?” Looking down at the book, he smirked and added, “Sounds like your little omega has two of a kind.” Two _soulmates _that is.

Sephiroth’s headache grew even worse. “I distinctly remember you suggesting I see him to test your ‘fated pair theory,’ only to later realize that it was some silly joke. Now you’re walking into my office insisting that it’s a valid occurrence.”

“I was mostly kidding at the time because I wasn’t sure about it myself, _and_ I was bored.” He pointed at the book. “But I just happened to stumble across this while I was trying to solve my breaking bond with Angeal—who hasn’t done shit on his end.” He let out a huff and tried not to send mean thoughts to him telepathically, or whatever the hell this bond did to their minds. _Maybe you should be the one to survey Paradise Sector from now on since you don’t seem to be worried about our bond. _“This book verifies that soulmates are very much a real thing, Seph.”

“Preposterous,” he said with a scoff. “Who wrote this anyway?”

“Two psychologists. Apparently, they were the ones who developed the manual that identifies if a prepubescent child will be an alpha or an omega.” The Science Department used that manual as if it were a holy book because blood testing didn’t work on a child.

At first, he didn’t want to believe it, but the more he recalled his first encounter with Cloud all the way until now, he couldn’t find any other reason to disprove these so-called signs. Sephiroth sensed something with Cloud since they first met, and each time he visited him, their interactions amplified into something _bigger_. He thought about Angeal’s theory that the only reason he hovered near Cloud was because of a potential pregnancy, but that… didn’t seem like the reason. Child or not, he wanted Cloud as his mate.

In one week’s time, he went from not caring about omegas to secretly wondering how to access that mating schedule.

Genesis quietly watched the cogwheels turn in his friend’s brain and almost laughed. Sephiroth did _not_ want to accept this. “Do you want me to share this with Zack, or leave him in the dark?”

At the mention of his name, Sephiroth shrugged his shoulders. “It’s up to you. He will eventually find out.” His head was pounding at this point, meaning that he was either sleep-deprived, or sick— the latter hasn't happened to him in years.

Angeal walked into Sephiroth’s office with a conflicted expression on his face. Upon spotting Genesis and Sephiroth in the same room, he paused before asking, “Did something happen?” He could sense Gen’s disapproval from the other side of HQ.

Genesis gestured to the silver-haired alpha. “Sephiroth won’t accept that he’s Cloud’s soulmate.”

“Soul—” he shook his head. “Have you two seen Zack since he came back?”

“Nope. Is he still feral?”

Angeal looked at him with a frown. “You heard about it too, huh?”

“No gossip slips by _me_, Ange.”

Sephiroth said, “He seemed fine earlier. What is he up to now?”

“I’m not sure, exactly, but talking to him is tiresome. He’s just irritated all the time and always ranting about Cloud being his mate. It’s not like him to act so possessive towards an omega.”

Genesis glanced back at Sephiroth with a grin and casually sat on the edge of his desk. “Oh my, that sounds like sign number three.”

“What?” Angeal was at a complete loss.

He summarized what the book stated and added, “Did you know that Zack was with Cloud _and _Sephiroth last night?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “The three shared a bed because nobody wanted to go home.”

“Genesis, stop it,” Sephiroth said with a low growl. His headache-turned-migraine wasn’t helping his mood.

“I’m just repeating what you told me. No need to get feisty.”

“You’re making it sound like I’m involved with Zack as well.”

“That’s your anxiety kicking in. Nobody mentioned that you’re fucking him too.” Oh that would be something to enjoy daydreaming about. Cloud was too damn lucky.

Angeal sighed. “Calm down you two.” He looked at Sephiroth. “Please catch me up.”

Once Sephiroth clarified Genesis’s innuendo, Angeal slowly nodded and rubbed his chin. “Hm. That may be why he’s been annoyed with everything lately.” Sephiroth found Zack’s childhood friend during a heat cycle, and yet Zack was constantly picked to mate with other omegas. When he finally showed mutual interest in an omega, he had to compete with someone he once respected, who later formed a truce just to be with the same omega… Yeesh, that sounded messy. “Alphas don’t like to share, you know.”

“Hmph. You think I want to play nice too?”

“But if that book is right—which I think it is—you will have no choice but to cooperate.”

Genesis asked, “How are they going to do that when Cloud only has one scent gland?” 

Sephiroth’s eyebrow twitched. _So, you are meant for two alphas like I feared._ Unless he bit both glands. “There’s another one on his inner thigh.”

Both men looked at him in shock. It was Genesis who then grinned and said, “The little dove is just full of surprises.”

Angeal cautiously watched his friend not meet their gazes. “Zack doesn’t know about that, Seph?”

“…Not yet at least.”

The redhead snickered and let out an amused sigh. “This is the best soap opera I’ve ever witnessed because I also have front row seats.” He will never forget _any _of this for as long as he breathed this polluted air.

Green eyes glared at him. “I’m glad that you’re having the time of your life.”

Angeal said, “Now that everyone is caught up, all we have to do is tell Zack and see how things go.” Hopefully, he wouldn’t get too cocky and try to fight Seph over conquering both scent glands.

“I regret bringing Cloud back here.” He buried his head in his hands. Cloud asked him why he did it, and he merely replied that another soldier would have done it anyway. Better him than a stranger.

“I think it’s for the best because you’ve been livelier than ever.” Genesis closed the book and tried not to cough at the puff of dust floating in the air. “Now I’m not the only one needing to rile you up in order to start my day.”

“I need to see Cloud…” he muttered before raising his head. “He needs to know.”

Angeal asked, “Do you think that’s a good idea, given that Heidegger is aware of Zack leaving the Inn early? What if he sends a Turk to track his movements?” Though, the Turks were always watching in the shadows.

He had a valid point. “I… will also have to be more discreet just so we don’t visit Cloud at the same time or else…” a Turk reported everything back to HQ. “I just need to know if Cloud is okay.”

Genesis carefully watched him. “Why the urgency?”

“I do not know. But my migraine has yet to go away and all I can think about is Cloud.” His intuition told him that something may be wrong. Was Cloud okay? Did the Turks figure out the unauthorized visits like Angeal warned?

He exchanged a glance with Angeal, who nodded at him. “Then how about we cover for you while you make a quick trip? Just don’t fuck him and spend the night. I definitely won’t vouch for you then.”

Sephiroth abruptly stood. “I won’t be long.” He left the office without a second glance, leaving his two friends behind to mull over their conversation.

Once he arrived at Cloud’s home, he raised his hand to knock on the door, but hesitated. He wasn’t sure how to explain his sudden visit during work hours. Time in Midgar was difficult to determine, thanks to the mako clouds covering the sky. However, he noticed that he usually waited until the day ended to avoid probing questions from his superiors. But like Zack said, Soldier schedules were ‘pretty fucked,’ therefore, Cloud should be used to unexpected visits.

Why was he even worried about that when there were more important matters to discuss? Sephiroth shook his head and knocked on the door. After several seconds of silence, he knocked again.

“He’s out for today,” came a male voice.

He whirled around, his hand instinctively reaching for Masamune. _I left it behind. _Taking a deep breath, he stood rigid on the doorstep as he stared back at Tseng. “How long have you known?”

The Turk took a few steps to the side, as if looking for something. “Since he was brought here.”

_Angeal was right… _Foolish of him to assume that the Turks never monitored the omega sector. “What do you want?”

“Information.” Tseng stopped walking and gave him his full attention. “How are you accessing the omega sector without using the front gate?”

“I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out yet.”

He smirked. “I have to be careful with tracking you.” But he did notice that Sephiroth came from the abandoned area. Reeve still hadn’t finished his cleanup projects when he was ordered to do that months ago.

“Then you should be careful following Cloud too.”

At the underlying threat in his tone, Tseng merely shrugged his shoulders. “I’m only here to warn you, nothing more.”

_Warn me_? “What for?”

“The Science Department is also watching you.”

Sephiroth wondered if his fears weren’t just from Cloud’s safety, but because his daily visits brought unwanted attention. “If you’ve been keeping tabs on me, then surely you’ve been noticing Zack?”

“It’s highly unusual for an alpha in rut to leave the Inn. Upon further investigation, I found you two standing in this very spot chatting with Cloud earlier today.”

Which meant that there was no point in hiding anything. Sephiroth stepped off the stairs towards Tseng, whose hand hovered near his gun. “Then what will you do, now that you’re aware of our… personal trips to Paradise Sector?”

“Be conscious about how you repeatedly visit Cloud. Remember that your loyalties are with Shinra, not an omega.”

Why did it feel as though Tseng warned him as a friend and not as a Turk? “Hmph. I know where my priorities lie.”

“Good.” He dusted the sleeves of his suit jacket, a bad habit he picked up from Rude. “It would be a shame if I had to intervene.” This wasn’t the first time an alpha showed signs of defecting from Soldier. That’s why Zack was with the Science Department as they spoke. Any time an alpha displayed alarming behavior, they were forced to undergo a series of questions to prove that they meant no harm to the company.

Sephiroth suspected that Tseng hid something else from him. He could have easily done it at any time, but chose to warn him instead. “Thanks, I think.”

He replied with a silent nod and slowly left the vicinity without another word. What the Turk didn’t add was that Professor Hojo collected data from Cloud’s anklet. The visitations sparked his body temperature and heart rate to levels beyond the normal threshold. Hojo mentioned the phrase ‘fated pairs,’ but needed more data before he drew a conclusion.

Sephiroth carefully watched him leave and turned back around only to see Cloud staring back at him. Heart pounding in his chest, he almost forgot how to breathe, unsure as to why the omega affected him in such a way. _Are you really my soulmate?_

Cloud looked at him in mild surprise, but then remembered that they promised to return sometime today. After he left Seventh Heaven, he stopped by one of the repair shops to buy supplies. He needed a distraction by fixing the damages Seph left behind last night. Tifa apologized for scaring him, but he stated that he would have figured it all out eventually. “I-Isn’t it a little early for you to be here?” He glanced at the dark-haired Turk, who disappeared down the alley. “Who was that?”

“Security,” he replied.

Startled, he dropped the bag onto the ground, barely registering the clatter. “I’m not in trouble, am I?!”

At the frightened expression on his face, Sephiroth moved closer to him. “Do not worry. I gave him an excuse to avoid confrontation.” Cloud didn’t need to know about any of this.

The blond curled his trembling hands into fists and looked down at the ground. “Sorry. Today has been exhausting…”

“What’s wrong? Did someone try to hurt you?”

He bit his bottom lip. He realized earlier that if he got involved with two alphas—one who is the most powerful soldier on the planet—his life would be even more complicated. Cloud was content living his life in solitude, yet he was still found by someone who was _supposed _to meet him. “I don’t know how to feel.” On one hand, he enjoyed meeting alphas who weren’t bad. On the other, he wanted his freedom from Shinra. Why did it have to be this way?

Sephiroth took one whiff of the air and sensed distress. “Let’s go inside.”

Upon entering the apartment, Cloud felt arms wrap around his waist. The scent of vanilla eased his worries, and he let out a low purr when a nose nuzzled his neck. “Seph,” he sighed.

The alpha made a promise that he wouldn’t stay too long, but his body craved more once again. His migraine also vanished right when Cloud returned home. _Odd_. “I’m supposed to be in my office right now, but I’m… having trouble remembering why I’m here.” He thought he smelled a few other scents on Cloud, but jasmine overpowered his senses.

Cloud snorted and turned in his arms. He should be scared of their strange attraction—worried about his future—but one look into those beautiful green eyes wiped away all fears. Maybe Seph’s calming pheromones helped, or maybe he trusted his alphas more than ever. “You told me last night that I wanted to be afraid. It’s just weird coming from a life where the most interaction I’ve had was a simple greeting.” To be the center of attention from not only alphas, but also Shinra was a lot to take in. “I’m not used to this at all.”

“I’m not either. You’re my first omega, Cloud.” _And hopefully my last._

He spread his hands across his chest, his thumbs sliding underneath the chest straps. “Then if I am pregnant, you won’t… leave me?” Sephiroth never answered him in the past.

The question tore a small gasp from his lips. Cloud’s bright eyes became glossy. _No, no, don’t be sad, my omega… _“I’m not ready to be a father. But, I won’t abandon you if we reach that point.”

_Are you sure? _Cloud thought about his statement to Barret earlier: _There are those who need a reality check to help them change their minds. _Sephiroth must have figured out that their relationship wasn’t normal. “What about Zack? Having your baby will complicate things…”

The way he said it gave him something promising to look forward to. Gods, that was sign number _four._ “Well, you have two scent glands. Surely we can work something out.” He was only half-joking, but the reply completely caught him off guard.

“Does that mean you know he is my soulmate too?”

“How did you know?”

Cloud shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t you find it strange over how we _need _each other? It’s like I can’t function without thinking about you guys at least once a day.” He tried not to grimace at the softness in his voice. Gods, he sounded so very much like a typical omega.

Sign number three. “Do you have dreams too?”

He vaguely recalled having a wild hallucination about brushing a child’s silver hair. “Sort of… What about you?”

“Not very often.” Because they see each other practically every day.

“Has Zack said anything?”

“I don’t think he’s aware yet.”

They should talk about this over dinner or something. Cloud broke free from their embrace and sighed. “This is so weird!” He picked up his bag of tools and walked towards the kitchen table. “Now I’m trying to decide if I should cook dinner.” His mind was all over the place today.

Before Sephiroth could reply, his cellphone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. “Yes?”

“For you to answer this fast tells me that you aren’t fucking him,” Genesis said on the other line.

“What do you want?”

“Angeal found Zack. He’s sleeping in the Science Department’s recovery room.”

A quick glance at Cloud forced him to turn his back to him. “What’s going on?” he whispered.

“You will need to zip your pants and come back here. I don’t like repeating sensitive information over the phone. Since you know… the Turks are everywhere these days.”

Genesis only said that whenever a Turk stopped him for questioning. It wasn’t just Tseng that they needed to worry about. “Give me ten.” He ended the call.

“Is everything okay?” Cloud asked before closing the fridge door.

He turned around and gave him a blank stare. Cloud would panic if he heard about Zack. “I need to return to HQ.”

“Oh… Will you and Zack be back later?”

Sephiroth really didn’t want to say it, but, “I think it’s best you cook for yourself tonight.”

“…” Zack did warn him this morning. “Okay…”

He walked towards him and pulled him into an embrace. “We will try to hurry back when we can, but I cannot guarantee it will be tonight.”

“I wish I had a phone.”

“You will need a burner phone. However, those are hard to obtain.” Shinra made sure to eliminate any conceivable way omegas could escape Midgar. To this day he’d like to know how the few that did were able to remove their tracking devices.

“It’s alright. I need to spend some time alone anyway,” he muttered with a pout. Once he learned that he was destined to be with Zack and Seph, he told everyone at the bar that he would spend the rest of his day at home to mull over his thoughts.

His omega sounded sad, but he didn’t have time to comfort him. “I have to go, Cloud.”

Cloud rubbed his face on his chest. “Can you kiss me before you go?”

He chuckled. “One kiss and I cannot be late.”

The alpha left his omega in a panting mess as he quickly hurried out the door. His hands ached to hold Cloud again, knowing that his obsession grew worse as they spent more and more time together.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Slight somnophilia in the last scene**

Angeal walked back to the company apartments while carrying Zack on his back. Genesis and Sephiroth trailed behind him with conflicted expressions on their faces. Once Sephiroth returned, he ignored the curious gazes from the soldiers and staff as their noses twitched to Cloud’s scent. He wanted them to say something, just so he could take his irritation out on somebody other than a hologram in the training room. He was supposed to cuddle with his omega, not babysit his ‘rival.’ But Cloud would never forgive him if he found out about Zack and nothing was done about it. For now, he will cooperate until they figured out what to do with their fated bond to Cloud.

Angeal dropped Zack on the bed and rejoined his friends in the small living room. Shinra Company provided private housing to their First Class Soldiers. Meanwhile, the Seconds had one roommate, and the Thirds were housed in quads.

“He was sedated?” Sephiroth asked in disbelief.

“From what I was told, he got pretty aggressive and they had no other choice.”

“The only reason he would fight back is if they _gave_ him a reason to do it…” Genesis flopped on the couch, inwardly groaning over how cheap it felt. _Did I not tell you about the luxury furniture store, Zack?_

“Zack’s temper is out of control,” said Angeal. “It almost feels like he reverted back to his younger self.” Zack wasn’t always an angry child. There were days where he would grow frustrated and let his anger out on exercise, but never has he threatened anyone. He respected authority as much as the next soldier.

Genesis let out a heavy sigh. “At this rate, he’ll be like me.”

“You’re not an angry person. Moody, yes, but not attacking people on a whim.”

“You sure about that? I have to count on my fingers and toes on the number of times I tried to kill someone out of spite.”

Sephiroth shook his head. “Back to important matters. The Science Department claimed that Zack threatened them with violence, which prompted the use of tranquilizers, correct?”

Angeal nodded. “I tried to get clarification, but they shut me down. I even used my mentor free pass and that didn’t work either.”

“We should just wait until Zack wakes up,” said Genesis. “For now, let’s ask the President’s favorite if he had any revelations since he spoke to his omega.”

With a sigh, Sephiroth leaned against the wall and folded his arms across his chest. “We didn’t have much time to talk.” He told them about Tseng’s encounter.

The red head rolled his eyes. The Turks already grilled him earlier with a bunch of stupid questions regarding Zack’s behavior. “Shouldn’t they be busy looking for omegas?” In fact, they should be thrilled that there were alphas willing to mate with omegas, instead of relying on that wretched mating schedule. “Who gives a fuck about what you and Zack like to do during your spare time?”

“He warned me because I’m interested in an omega.” What if Tseng warned him that what happened to Zack would also happen to him if he wasn’t careful?

“So? No point in contemplating since you three are soulmates.”

That again. But Cloud experienced similar cases that the book mentioned. “Then what do you suggest I tell the company board if they suspect my intentions?”

“The truth.”

Sephiroth wanted to argue, but figured Genesis would just repeat his answer. “I don’t want to endanger Cloud.”

“Too late for that, Seph.”

“You really aren’t helping, Genesis,” he said with a glare.

He shrugged and crossed his legs across the couch. “No matter what story you tell them, the company will still doubt you. Best to be quick with the simple truth.”

He’s right. Shinra wouldn’t believe anything he said because he’s not supposed to be aroused by an omega’s scent. “…”

Angeal carefully listened to their conversation, taking note of Sephiroth’s demeanor. Sephiroth was a man who never went against Shinra’s orders. For him to take advantage of his privileges justified the Turks taking notice. “Seph, I think you should—”

Zack shuffled in the room, frowning at the three men in his apartment. “…What the fuck happened?” He groaned and rubbed his throbbing forehead.

Angeal rushed over to him and guided him to sit on the couch. Genesis quickly made space for him and said, “Ange found you sleeping in the recovery room. We brought you back here so we could freely talk.”

“Huh?” he rubbed his bleary eyes and stared at Sephiroth. “You reek of Cloud.” He gritted his teeth at the thought of Sephiroth doing more than pay a visit. _Cheater._

The silver-haired alpha tilted his head to the side. “You can smell him from there?” The ones who did brushed past him in the hallway, rather than sniff from a distance.

“Yeah,” he looked at Angeal, “can’t you?”

He shrugged. “Barely.”

“Zack,” Genesis placed a hand on his shoulder, “tell us what happened.”

“Science Department asked me to come in for some questions. First, they were like— ‘oh it’s nothing to worry about’— and after a good five minutes they started questioning my loyalty to Shinra. They went on and on about the Soldier Program mission statement and emphasized that the President is our boss and anyone who went against his rules would be punished.”

Genesis glanced at Angeal with a quirk of his brow before saying, “I’ve had that questionnaire given to me after I formed a bond with Angeal.”

“Huh?!”

Angeal said, “Yeah, they didn’t think it would work until we showed no interest in omegas. Then they gave us those same questions about how we felt about the company and whatnot.”

The red head let out a long, heavy sigh. “Then they put us in a room full of omegas in heat—which is a rarity to say the least—and because Ange and I still didn’t fuck them, they were pissed at us. And when people get pissed at me for no reason, I get pissed right back.” The nerve of them to assume they would form a bond just for the hell of it.

Zack glanced off to the side with a frown. “They… said something about Cloud… I don’t remember what it was exactly, but I got mad and that’s… all I remember.”

Genesis looked over at Sephiroth. “Told you.”

Sephiroth straightened his posture and stepped closer to the couch. “So, they know about our involvement with Cloud.” Yet Tseng made it seem as though they were still investigating. Either he played down their findings to get more information—which is very much a Turk strategy—or the Turks were already ahead of the Science Department in their investigation.

Zack looked at him, trying hard not to snarl from his omega’s strong scent. “Something tells me you know things.”

“We need to have a chat while we’re all in here.”

* * *

Over the following week, Cloud hadn’t heard from Zack or Sephiroth.

He clung to the pillow on the couch while watching the television. He barely paid attention to the news anchor as his mind drifted to his two alphas. Zack warned him that soldier schedules were messed up, but did that mean they wouldn’t speak for this long? Maybe they had a mission far away from here; or maybe they were caught in a tough situation and—

Cloud vigorously shook his head and buried his face in the pillow, letting out a long sigh. He tried so hard to distract his thoughts with dance practice and reading excerpts on alpha-omega bonds. Aerith and Yuffie came by his place several times—and he even reciprocated by visiting them. In fact, they were the reason he now had decorations in his home. Aerith complained that his place looked like a prison and took him to one of her favorite stores. Cloud also found out that his monthly stipend from Shinra was the same for all omegas. Apparently, the company wanted their omegas to feel ‘comfortable,’ despite the travel restrictions. Cloud bought a variety of decorative sets and art pieces that made his apartment look much more welcoming than before.

When the silent weeks became a month, he spent his free time researching soulmates and fated pairs. None of the books he bought mentioned what Tifa told him, so he relied on her expertise. She gave him as much information as she could recall, but Cloud still wasn’t satisfied with her explanation. He felt that it was some mind game simply because he was an omega. After all, he’s only in Midgar to produce alpha children, not fall in love.

His invasive thoughts made him believe that Zack and Sephiroth grew tired of him. Maybe they took their rut cycles out on more betas. Both men were very attractive and could get anybody in their beds. He was just another hopeless omega who would eventually be bound to a stranger.

He asked Yuffie one day if she knew much about the Inn. She said that it was mostly beta females, but there were more beta males working there now. She also stated that many of the girls provided extra birth control pills to Seventh Heaven.

“If the pregnancy test comes back negative, do you want to start taking the pills?” she asked during dance practice.

Cloud pondered over her question. If he took them and his heat cycle showed up, then he would be safe from a random alpha. However, he’d have to go through it every season until Sephiroth and Zack entered his schedule. But if Seph wasn’t meant to be with an omega, then that meant he only had Zack to choose. Yet Zack was also forced to mate with other omegas. “I… am not sure.”

“I think it will give you peace of mind. Aerith and I are on it and we haven’t had any problems.” Yuffie turned to him and placed her hands on her hips. “I get this feeling you’re being stubborn because you wanna get knocked up by them.”

He blushed and drew the towel over his nose to hide his embarrassment. “…Sort of.” Did it sound weird that he wanted them to have an equal playing field, even if the fated pair nonsense was true?

“Just remember that you don’t have a say on who you wanna be with. Shinra broke a lot of hearts with their obsession over alpha soldiers, you know.”

She was absolutely right, but one can only hope.

Lifting his head, Cloud stared at the opened letter on the coffee table. Shinra reminded him that he will be escorted to the company Science Department for a pregnancy test. What if this whole time those two thought everything would be fine until the soulmate crap came into play? Alphas never shared an omega, so for him to have two scent glands, there’s no way they would be okay with that. Cloud hated his body and hated everything that came with living as an omega.

The next day, he sat on the medical table with his eyes firmly shut. He was poked and prodded once again by these vampire scientists. This time, they took so much blood that he fainted. When he finally woke up in a different bed, he almost screamed when that same man with glasses loomed over him while taking notes.

“Wh-What do you want now?” he asked as he drew the sheet over his naked body. Why was he always naked in this horrible place?

“The test came back negative.”

Hearing those words made him sad. He should be thrilled with the news. Instead, he felt as though he failed everyone—mainly Sephiroth. “Oh…”

“I was hoping for you to carry his child. I’m curious to see if you would give birth to an omega instead.”

“Huh?”

“With you as a male omega, I wonder if your genes would affect the outcome…”

Cloud frowned at him. He sounded as though he were talking mostly to himself. “I dunno. If I knew my parents, maybe I could give you an answer.”

“It doesn’t matter,” the scientist said with a wave of his hand. “You’re on the schedule anyway. However, I am considering having you specifically assigned to Sephiroth only.” Never in his life has he seen such fascinating results with an omega. Every time he received reports of the two alphas interacting with this test subject, his vitals were off the charts, but never long enough to be considered another heat cycle. “I noticed that after you engage in intercourse with him, you drop to REM sleep faster than normal circumstances.”

Cloud was reminded of an important thing. _Oh gods. I completely forgot about the stupid anklet. _“He, uh, said that he produces high sedative properties in his… um… you know…”

“I never knew that because you are his first omega.” He jotted down a note. “First we have an alpha leave the Inn in the middle of his cycle to only go after you; now we have my greatest creation showcase odd behavior. Simply _fascinating_!”

_So everyone tells me… _“I-Is that good or bad?”

“The only thing that matters to me is good data.” He looked at him over the rim of his wiry frames. “Your heat should be here soon since you aren’t with child.”

“My heat is seasonal.”

“Seasonal?” He jotted down another note. “For how long?”

“Seven days…”

“Hm, that’s a primitive method. Omegas in the older times would only have their heats during seasonal changes. But for the past hundred years or so, they have them once a month. Your family heritage must be unique.” He will need a genealogy test done, along with several others.

_I had no idea there was such a thing._ “What else can you tell me? You seem to know more than these books I’ve read.”

He chuckled. “I’m the head of this department after all.”

What a perfect opportunity to pick his brain. “Can you tell me what’s going on? Is there such a thing as… fated pairs?”

“Fated pairs are unusual. I’m still in the process of researching that. But for now, your actions around those two soldiers can give me what I need to publish my data.”

_Never mind then_, he thought with a small pout. “Can you also tell me where Seph…iroth and Zack are located?”

“For you to ask me explains why your vitals have been stable for quite some time.”

“Vitals…?” he lifted the sheet to look at his anklet. _Oh._ “Uh…”

“It’s a little too late to play coy. Either way, I suggest you keep doing it because I’ve obtained more data than I could ever imagine with you.” He was against it for the longest time until the omega’s vitals gave him the incentive to learn more about alpha-omega bonds.

Did he just suggest that he _wanted _them to constantly see each other? “I would love to do that if I knew where they were.”

“They are soldiers, not house husbands. You should do what omegas are genetically designed to do and wait for them to show up.”

He ignored the underlying insult. “But I thought secretly meeting alphas was against the rules?”

“Those only apply to them, not me. The best scientific research comes from people who bend the rules.” He chuckled at his statement. The ones that did play fair never got their fame.

This man was very strange. Cloud thought the phrase ‘mad scientist’ was nothing more than a stereotype; but speaking to a man in a white lab coat made him reconsider if it was a real thing.

“I will have to discuss your mating schedule with the company board.” The downside to all of this was that Sephiroth showed signs of attachment. Fated pairs, or not, this omega had no right to woo their best soldiers away from their duties. He needed to take some time to consider if valuable data was worth losing his greatest creation. The only way to avoid any of this was housing a pregnant omega in his laboratory. Sephiroth wouldn’t abandon the company as long as his mate was here.

“Can I ask that you put me with Zack and Sephiroth? They are the only ones I care about.” Gods, if he had the chance to avoid mating with random alphas then now was the perfect time!

“You don’t get to decide.”

He looked at the scientist in shock. “But you just said—”

“Your kind is at one percent of the counted population. For me to be sure of my decisions, I do not need anyone giving me their unsolicited opinions.” He gave him a pointed look. “I need to know why omegas are becoming obsolete, and I believe your genetics may help me draw several theories. Therefore, I need you to be quiet and do as I say; or else I will give the company a reason to take advantage of your seven-day heat cycle.”

Cloud felt helpless. There wasn’t a way out of this hell hole no matter how many times he convinced himself.

_“Just remember that you don’t have a say on who you wanna be with.”_ Yuffie’s warning reminded him. _“Shinra broke a lot of hearts with their obsession over alpha soldiers, you know.”_

After a few more questions, the omega was given his clothes and escorted out the room. He carefully followed the wall of suits, rubbing his nose when he could smell a variety of alpha and beta scents. All of them were strong, but one scent stood out from the rest. He glanced around, only to face black suit jackets. _I smell Zack._

Zack Fair begrudgingly strolled down the hallway towards the Science Department. He received a call this morning about the omega from last month.

She was pregnant.

Now he had to see them for a paternity test and pray harder than ever for the next twenty-four hours. He went through this a few times before but avoiding the chance of fatherhood meant more than anything this time.

“Zack!”

Halting his strides, the First turned to the voice and saw the familiar blond surrounded by Turks. “Cloud?!” Sephiroth told him about the concept of fated pairs and what that meant regarding their future together as a threesome. He also suggested that they stopped seeing Cloud for a while. Zack didn’t like the idea, but when he was told several times that the Turks were closely watching them, he eventually backed off.

Cloud moved towards him, but a hand on his shoulder prevented him from embracing his alpha. The blond wanted to protest and was instead shoved onto the elevator.

The alpha rushed over to the group only to be stopped by a red-headed Turk.

“Yo, it’s not a good idea.”

“Reno, let me see Cloud!” He growled when the elevator doors closed. “What the fuck, man?!” He jerked out of his hold and glared at him.

“Look, I don’t like this either but please make my life easier by just following protocol.” He tapped his electro rod against his shoulder.

“I _am _yet you guys are preventing me from playing nice!”

His eyebrows twitched at the wording. Tseng mentioned that Zack has been more aggressive than usual. He didn’t believe it at first, thinking the soldier found a good lay. But the desperate look on his face told him a different story. “Keep this up and I’ll be forced to report you.”

“You owe me a favor, remember?”

Reno groaned and waved a hand. “Don’t blow it all on some disciplinary shit! Give me something good to work with, yo!”

Zack’s glare quickly turned into a smug grin. He had several options in mind, but one stood out the most. “Fine. I have the perfect wish for you to fulfill.”

* * *

Cloud sulked in his bed while sniffing Sephiroth’s coat. The first time he saw Zack in a month just had to be in a freaking hallway. Why didn’t Zack save him from those suited men? And why hasn’t he visited him yet? Weren’t they supposed to be soulmates or whatever?

Rolling over to his side, he frowned at the clock on the nightstand. Several hours passed since he returned home and neither alpha stopped by to make sure he was okay. Cloud had a lot to say to them, including his conversation with that weirdo scientist. However, if there was no way to reach them, he might as well forget about everything and move on. After all, Seventh Heaven will open in a few days to the public. He asked Tifa how the club avoided a shutdown for so long. She explained that Seventh Heaven’s existence was too important for anyone to tattle on the company. Cloud found it hard to believe that nobody found a reason to be spiteful.

With a tired sigh, he closed his eyes. Maybe he’ll find a hot alpha there.

He opened his eyes and squinted at the clock. He slept for a good three hours, but something woke him—something that moved beneath his sheets. A sharp gasp escaped his lips when he felt a tongue lapping at his entrance. Cloud yanked the sheets to the side and gazed into blazing indigo eyes.

“Zack…” A million questions ran through his head, but all he could do was moan when that tongue trailed along the shaft of his cock. “I… m-missed you…”

“I’m here now,” he whispered before taking off his shirt.

Cloud was greeted by Zack’s beautiful body, and he wanted nothing more than to have his alpha’s cock. He spread his legs and whispered, “Please.” He should be angry with him—torn about the idea that his alphas went radio silent without any explanation—but the moment Zack entered him, all traces of sadness washed away. “Ah!”

The alpha rolled onto his back and Cloud rode him without command. His fingers splayed across a tanned chest, he rocked his hips in a slow, yet sensual pace. Soft moans echoed in his bedroom as he looked down at his flushed face.

Hands trailed down Cloud’s waist and he arched his back when he felt another warm body behind him. Fingers pinched his nipples, and he could smell vanilla mixed with Zack’s honey-scented pheromones. _Seph…_

Sephiroth’s hard cock bumped his hip, and Cloud couldn’t wait to have it inside him. He rode Zack even faster when he felt his orgasm teetering on the edge. “Gods!”

Sephiroth nuzzled his neck and muttered, “Mine.”

That was what Cloud needed to hear before he came, bringing Zack with him.

Sephiroth decided to take Cloud roughly from behind, while Zack pressed his head against the bed. Fingers dug into his hair as Sephiroth never relented on his thrusts. The omega whimpered as he felt trapped, but the angle allowed Seph to hit his prostate over and over and over—

Teeth sank into his neck, causing him to scream when he realized what happened. “Seph!”

_Mine._

Cloud woke with a gasp and pressed a hand to his neck. He glanced down between his legs and didn’t see anyone there. Unfortunately, his dream left a nice wet stain on his boxers. Never in his life did he orgasm in his _sleep._

He climbed out of the bed and walked towards the bathroom. Upon turning on the lights, he checked his neck for any signs of fresh teeth prints. Zack’s marks from last month were practically gone now, and Cloud sighed in relief as he ran his fingers across smooth skin.

A blush formed on his cheeks as he recalled the dream, wishing it were longer. It felt so real, yet he never engaged in anything that erotic in his short life. Was that how sex with two alphas worked? Weren’t dreams supposed to be memories molded into one? The omega had a lot more questions on his mind, but he couldn’t seek answers until he saw them again. He brought his fingers to his lips and dropped his gaze.

_I need you._

Sephiroth woke to the sound of Cloud’s voice and blinked at the ceiling. He slowly rose to a sitting position and looked out the window at the giant mako reactors. Brushing his silver bangs out of his face, his green eyes lidded when he thought about his dream. Watching Zack fuck Cloud _aroused_ him. He closed his eyes at the vivid image of his omega riding another alpha, crying out as another man’s cock made him feel so good. Sephiroth longed to hear those loud cries in his ears again as he made love to his omega.

He ran a tongue across his throbbing front teeth when he remembered biting Cloud’s perfect neck. When the next heat cycle came, he will be sure to put a baby inside his omega—mating schedule or not.

_Mine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First scene could have been added in the previous chapter but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ It Be Like That Sometimes.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Genesis grew annoyed by Zack’s constant pacing across the office floor. He ignored his friend for a few minutes until he realized that the distraction made him type the same sentence three times. How is it that Sephiroth got his own office while the other Firsts had to share? “Can you _please_ take your restless energy somewhere else? I’m trying to concentrate!”

Zack stopped and turned to him. “Sorry…”

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “What’s wrong with you?”

“That omega from last month is pregnant.” Thankfully, he wasn’t chosen again for another mating session since then, but the chances of him knocking up a stranger was still too high for his tastes.

“Oh.” His expression softened. “When will you find out if it’s yours?”

“By the end of today,” he let out a shaky breath and added, “I hope to Gaia that it’s not mine.”

Genesis did not miss this at all. “You’ve dodged that bullet many times. Surely this one will be the same?”

“I’m freaking out because Cloud should have gotten his pregnancy test results back too…” He swore to every higher power that if Seph knocked up Cloud while he was stuck with a stranger, then he will ditch Soldier in a heartbeat.

“Seph didn’t tell you?”

“About…?” _Please don’t let it be true…_

He had half a mind to be sadistic, but Zack went through enough shit already. “Cloud isn’t pregnant.”

Thank the gods. He let out another heavy sigh and slumped in his office chair, running his hands through his hair. “That’s why I saw him in the hallway yesterday.”

“Who?”

“Cloud…”

“Is that also the reason you’ve been on edge today?” Granted, he’s been like that since Seph brought the omega back to Midgar.

“I haven’t seen him in a month, Gen.” He propped his boots on the desk. “I was within reach only to be stopped by a Turk.” Thankfully, it was Reno, but still… _nobody _had the right to interfere with their reunion. “Speaking of Turks, there’s something I wanna tell Seph.”

“Did they question your loyalties again?”

“Nope. I questioned theirs—one of them at least.”

Genesis quirked a brow. “Do tell.”

“Not here. You’re the one who always said, ‘the walls have ears,’ remember?”

“Well, well, it sounds like Mr. Fair isn’t being so fair,” he said with a smirk.

“You also suggested that I should stop being a ‘goody-two-shoes’ and go apeshit every now and then.” The last time Genesis talked him into loosening up, they got into a drunken bar fight with a bunch of soldiers.

With a chuckle, he flicked his bangs to the side and said, “Ah, I do love being the little devil on people’s shoulders.”

Sephiroth and Angeal strolled into the office whispering to each other. After they stood side by side angrily gesturing about something, Angeal let out a huff and shook his head.

“Fine. Be my guest,” he muttered.

“What’s going on?” Zack asked as he sat upright.

Sephiroth glanced at Angeal before saying, “I have a request.”

Genesis’s smirk never faltered. “Who do I need to bully?”

“You’re not fighting anybody.” He walked over to him and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

Zack watched Gen’s expression shift from surprise to that cunning glint in his eyes. _What the hell is going on? What is Seph up to now?_

“I’m shocked you knew about that.” Genesis gave Sephiroth a wide smile.

“Word of mouth.” He straightened his posture. “Can you make it happen for us?”

“I guess, but it will cost you.”

“Money isn’t an issue.”

He rested his head in his hand, grinning at him. “Cloud is _so_ lucky to have you wrapped around his finger.”

With a roll of his eyes, Sephiroth looked at Zack and said, “I’ll update you when we’re alone.”

“O-kay…”

“In addition, I need something delivered to… a certain someone.”

Genesis waved him away. “I can’t do both. You’ll have to do it yourself.”

“I wouldn’t have asked you if that were the case.”

Zack said, “Guys, at least give me a clue as to what you’re hinting about?”

“Seph is getting desperate,” Angeal answered with a pointed look. “Zack temporarily calmed down and now _you’re_ acting out of character.”

Sephiroth suppressed a growl at the hostility he sensed from his friend. He overheard something that could potentially end this radio silence with Cloud. Angeal was against the idea, stating that they would bring trouble if they were found together at some secretive site. Sephiroth felt that as long as they followed protocol and kept quiet, it shouldn’t be an issue. “I am finding other options until Shinra stops breathing down my neck over my _sex life_, Angeal,” he said in a clipped tone.

The two men growled at each other, startling Zack and Genesis.

“Now, now, boys,” the red head said as he slowly stood and made his way over to them. “Seph, what is it that you need delivered?”

“A cell phone.”

“Can’t you just mail it?” Zack asked.

“It’s going to Cloud.”

It didn’t take long for him to put the pieces together. “Oh! You’ve managed to find—”

He held up a hand. “_Not _here.”

“…Sorry.”

Genesis wondered if Sephiroth was close to his rut cycle. He’s not this cranky unless he went several days without sleep. However, it was always hard to predict when it approached because Sephiroth stifled his symptoms until they became unbearable. “I still don’t see why you can’t do it yourself.”

Sephiroth shook his head. “My previous statement still stands. Zack is also under watch, but you would be a better candidate for obvious reasons.”

Partly annoyed by his attitude, and partly irritated that his friend pushed several tasks on him all at once, the red head scowled back at him. “Do _not _put all the duties on me. We may be friends, but I have my limits.”

The silver-haired alpha let out another irritated sigh and ran his hand through his hair. He felt hot all the sudden and reminded himself to stop by the break room. “I need someone I can trust to make this delivery. It’s the only way I can talk to him again without worrying about you-know-who.”

“Hmm.” Genesis tapped his foot. “Someone you can trust…”

All eyes fell on Angeal, who blinked several times at them. “Ohhh, no… Pick again.” He wasn’t too keen on Seph’s plan in the first place.

“You’re the _least _suspecting person in our group,” said Genesis.

“_You_ can freely enter the omega sector.”

“Yeah, and I can easily lose my access privileges too. “Besides, this is a perfect chance to test your reaction to Cloud as well.”

Gods, this felt like one big trap. “Making me take one for the team, eh?”

“It’s not like you’re doing anything about maintaining our bond…”

“That’s because I don’t know where to start.”

Sephiroth said, “Angeal. Please.”

He let out a defeated sigh and buried his head in his hands. “For the love of—” He groaned and glared at his friend. “You will owe me big time if I get caught!”

“Even if that occurs, Gen will still have full access. I need him for backup.”

No matter what he tried to counter, Seph and Gen will still find a way to manipulate him into agreeing. “Alright, fine.”

Zack cheered and gave him a big hug, even though he barely knew what was going on. “I love you man!”

Angeal pushed him away, ignoring the snickers. “I take that back, _both_ of you will owe me.”

Zack snapped his fingers when a thought occurred to him. “Before you go, there’s something I wanna give Cloudy.” 

* * *

Cloud wished he had a garden, but Midgar’s horrible environment made it impossible to even find fresh food. Aerith told him about the slums church where Zack and Sephiroth first entered the omega sector, but Cloud wanted a garden right outside his window. For now, he was content with his other hobbies.

He finished cooking his dinner and pouted when he had enough food left to feed two more people. He should just give them to Aerith and Yuffie as thanks for cheering him up for the past month. In fact, he thought about cooking a big thank you meal for everyone at Seventh Heaven. They helped him make the best out of his crappy situation. Barret and Tifa felt more like older siblings, while Aerith and Yuffie were the goofy younger sisters.

_You said you wouldn’t leave me…_

Sephiroth promised that he wouldn’t abandon him if the test came back negative. Yet here they were a month later and— Shaking his head, he let out a scoff and let the dishes soak in the sink. Why did he ever think that alphas kept their word?

His mind drifted back to last night’s dream, causing him to shiver. Even after he went back to sleep, he masturbated another two times throughout the day. He couldn’t shake off the imagery, no matter how hard he focused on his tasks. What if that dream wasn’t random but a… prediction of his future?

Is that part of this soulmate connection?

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Startled, Cloud dropped his dishcloth in the sink and felt his heart pound against his chest. _It can’t be…_ Rushing towards the door, he took a deep breath and slowly opened it, not bothering to ask for the visitor’s name. 

“Where have you—” He paused. The visitor wasn’t Zack, or Seph, but... Cloud took one whiff of his scent. _Alpha. _“C-Can I help you?” 

Angeal’s mouth fell open when a beautiful blond stood in the doorway. “_You’re_ Cloud?” Oh, that explained _everything_. Zack mentioned Cloud was adorable, but the omega before him was a beauty. Now he understood why Genesis dodged the questions whenever Cloud’s appearance was brought up in their conversations.

“Yes?” He leaned against the door with a frown. “Who are you?” He sniffed him again and smelled Zack’s scent. _That’s odd._

He mentally counted to three as a way to calm his nerves. _You guys are cruel._ “My name is Angeal.” He held a small tote bag. “Do you mind if I come inside?” That question was _not_ meant to be suggestive….

The blond wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, given that he didn’t know this man, but he smelled too much like Zack to be considered much of a threat. And if he hung around Zack, then he had to be trustworthy; Zack didn’t hang out with just _anybody_. “Uh… sure…”

Angeal walked into the apartment and looked around. “Hm. Cozy.”

“Why are you here?” he asked as he turned around. “And how did you know my name?”

“I’m Zack’s mentor—in a way,” he explained. Once Zack reached First Class, he wasn’t necessarily in need of much tutelage. “Zack and Seph asked me to give you this.” He handed the bag to him, careful not to touch his fingers. So far, he wasn’t aroused by Cloud’s scent. Yet, he smelled too much like Zack and Seph.

_You used Seph’s nickname._ Cloud took the bag and dug out the contents. There were a few clothes and what looked like— “A phone?!” He held it in his hand.

“They’re sorry that they couldn’t see you, but Seph found an alternative method.”

Blue eyes lingered on the phone before meeting his gaze. Ever since that suited man showed up, Seph hasn’t visited since then. “You mean, I can call them with this?”

“Yeah. It’s prepaid and everything.” This was step one of Sephiroth’s plan. He found a store hidden in the slums that sold burner phones for alphas desperate enough to talk to their omegas. Angeal found it bizarre that Seph purchased such items, but his friend explained that he had to do it or else he would never hear from Cloud again.

Cloud held it close to his chest with a bright smile. “Thank you.”

Angeal blushed and scratched the back of his head. “Uh, no problem.” He wasn’t fond of being dragged into other people’s drama, but he was okay with it if it meant that he could see the omega’s beautiful smile again.

“Why do you smell so much like Zack?”

“Huh?” he sniffed his arm. “I only smell Genesis.”

“Gen—” his eyes widened at the realization. “Wait, you know him too?”

“Yes. Sephiroth, Genesis, and I are close. Genesis is my mate now, and Zack is part of our group.” Many soldiers called them the ‘High School Student Council.’ Genesis loved the nickname simply because he thrived off their jealousy. 

He nodded when he remembered Genesis’s claims about his strange bond with another alpha. Cloud stepped closer and sniffed Angeal again. “I only smell Zack. Why can’t I smell anybody else?”

“I find that strange. Gen told me that you said he smelled mostly like Sephiroth when you two met.”

“That’s the thing—it’s kinda like you guys are their substitutes or something.”

“Hm.” Angeal placed a hand on his chin. “I wonder if it’s because our bond is breaking…”

“Huh?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing.” His nostrils flared when he leaned forward to smell Cloud. “Your scent is mostly Zack’s as well, with a little bit of Sephiroth.”

Genesis said the opposite. First, Cloud thought it was because of Seph’s coat, but now he wasn’t so sure. “This is so weird. They haven’t scent-marked me ever since they spent the night…” He trailed off, trying not to blush.

“It’s okay. I’m mature enough not to poke fun—unlike some people I know.”

“What’s going on? Did something else happen?”

“I think you should talk to them first. I don’t want to say the wrong thing.”

Cloud held the tote bag tightly to his chest. “I’m still kinda mad at them.”

“Their actions were for the best, Cloud.” Angeal found it odd that he felt too comfortable around him. Every time he smelled Zack, he fought the urge to go into mentor mode. “They sent me here to make sure you got those items. They’ll be expecting a call from you soon.”

He looked down at the phone in his hand. “I mean, I guess…” Something else had to be going on, but the only way he’d know was if he spoke to them first.

“Anyway, I have to go. I promised to be back as soon as I dropped off your stuff.” Genesis threatened him by stating that if he stayed longer than the calculated time, he would personally visit Paradise Sector and be the next alpha threat.

Then Cloud had an idea. “Oh, before you go…” he rushed over to the refrigerator and pulled two containers of food. “Would you mind giving this to them? I had enough leftovers.”

“Of course.” He glanced at the contents and wondered if the omega loved to cook, or if it was a part of his nature to feed others.

“Thank you again, Angeal.”

The way he said his name made him blush.

Once Angeal left the home, Cloud sat on his couch and flipped open the phone. There was only one contact person called ‘S’. He chose the number and laid across his couch, half hoping Sephiroth would answer, but half hoping that he didn’t. The omega wasn’t sure what to say to someone who vanished for a month. Then again, he managed to do it with Zack after seven long years…

“Cloud?” Sephiroth’s voice, smooth as silk, answered on the other line.

The blond suppressed a shiver, letting out a shaky breath before he replied with, “Hi.”

“Thank the gods. I was beginning to think that Angeal got caught by security.”

“He just left.”

“_Huh?_” Zack’s voice came from the other line. “_Wait, you actually—”_

Sephiroth said, “Hush.”

Confused, Cloud frowned hard at the harsh whispers on the line and asked, “Where are you?” His heart thudded against his chest as he listened to his alphas. He was supposed to be angry with them, but the moment they spoke, he quickly gave up the idea of meeting other alphas at Seventh Heaven. _My alphas…_

“In my apartment. Zack is watching me as we speak.”

“_I wanna talk to Cloudy too!_”

Sephiroth sighed. “You’ll get your chance, I suppose.”

“Seph,” Cloud asked, “what is going on?” He overheard Zack mutter something before letting out a loud grunt.

“_Asshole…”_

“I apologize for my abrupt silence, Cloud. It seems that Shinra is… keeping a close eye on their alphas as of late. So I decided to cooperate in order to avoid any conflict.”

“Does it have to do with that guy in the suit?”

“Sort of. But I want you to know that everything is fine on my end.”

_“Mine too!” _Zack exclaimed.

The omega tried not to giggle once again at their vastly different personalities. Zack sounded more like himself. For a while, Cloud wondered if his pheromones had anything to do with Zack’s aggressiveness, including his rut cycle. But he never shook off the idea that the soulmate ties were the culprit behind their relationship. “I should be mad at you, but hearing your voices soothes me…” Why in Gaia’s name did he say that _out_ _loud_?

“Hmph. We can hopefully meet if you agree to my plan.”

“Huh? Why not just come over here?” He closed his eyes when he remembered last night’s dream.

“Again, it’s best that we move our visitations elsewhere for now.”

“Okay…”

Sephiroth mumbled something away from the phone before saying, “I overheard a group of alphas claiming that there was a place in the slums where many people gather. Apparently, it’s considered neutral territory because omegas visit the location as well.”

Cloud’s eyes slowly widened at the description. “Um…” There’s only one place that allowed alphas, betas, and omegas to be within proximity to each other. “What’s it called?”

“I believe it’s called Seventh Heaven.”

“That’s—” he shook his head, “Yeah. I’ve heard of it.” So much for best kept secret.

“Are you interested in meeting us there?”

_Oh, I’ll be there alright. _“Y-Yeah, I can go.”

“Excellent. Our friends will accompany us, so no need to worry.”

Now he understood why Angeal unexpectedly appeared at his doorstep. “I look forward to it.”

They discussed the logistics for a little while longer. Cloud refused to tell him that he will be in one of the dance cages with Yuffie and Aerith. For now, he played along to Seph’s plan as a way to surprise them. He couldn’t wait to see the looks on their faces when they entered the bar and found him not in the crowd, but on stage.

Zack snatched the phone from Sephiroth and shouted, “Cloudy! Hi!”

He snorted. “Hi Zack.”

“Did you get my shirts?”

“Yep. Thanks!”

“Aww, I wish this was a fancy phone because you can send me a pic of you wearing it with nothing else on!”

_Wait until you see my dance outfit. _“Pervert.”

“You should be used to that by now.”

The way he said that made his heart skip several beats. “Y-Yeah…”

They talked a little longer about random things. Zack apologized for going silent as well, along with the minor hallway incident. Cloud just couldn’t stay mad at him, no matter how hard he pouted over the phone. There were a lot of things he wanted to say to Zack and Sephiroth regarding the scientist’s cryptic words, but it was best to wait until he saw them again. A lot needed to be said, and he suspected that Sephiroth felt that they would meet in other places outside of his home.

“Well, Seph is sending me telepathic death threats ‘cuz I’m a good conversationalist, or whatever, so I gotta go.”

Cloud smiled over the phone. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

“Me neither. I hope you know how to dance!”

The omega covered his mouth, stifling his laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was 100% just Seph scheming to get laid. 🙈


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cloud's outfit was inspired by [this](https://twitter.com/sdbcraig/status/1255662896039686145)

_ Keep Cloud safe._

Startled, Angeal woke to the sound of his name. He quickly sat upright, looking around the room until he met a concerned gaze. 

A frown formed on Genesis’s face after he heard Angeal muttering in his sleep. At first, he stayed quiet and listened for any secretive information, until Angeal whispered something about ‘danger.’ “Are you alright?”

He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his forehead. “Yeah… why?”

His raspy voice did not go unnoticed. Genesis pushed the blanket to the side and scooted out of the bed. “I’ll get you some water.”

When he returned with a glass full of water, he sat beside him and asked, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Angeal blinked several times through the headache. _Gods, this felt like a hangover_. He drank the entire glass and placed it on the nightstand. “What time is it?” 

“Three-thirty. Now answer my question.”

“I…” He tried to remember his dream, but everything was completely blank. Angeal stared at Genesis, trying to recall anything related to Gen’s implications. “I don’t know, Gen.”

“You started whispering something. Then you mentioned ‘danger’ several times.” 

“I did?”

Genesis let out a huff. “Can’t help you if you don’t know.”

“Again, Gen, I don’t remember anything from my dreams.” He laid back on the pillows and stared at the ceiling. 

Maybe it was just stress from a past mission. “Fine. But if you just so happen to remember even a _smidgen_ of your dream, please let me know.” Sometimes, he worried about his mate’s ability to shrug off traumatic events. Angeal was always praised for his prudence, but Genesis didn’t think it was right for him to ignore his reactions.

He nodded, never blinking during his daze. 

_Keep Cloud safe._

Later that morning, Angeal dodged an incoming hug from his pupil.

“ANGEEEEALLLL!!!”

With a shake of his head, he kept walking towards the break room.

“I’M FREE! I’M NOT THE DAD!” Zack exclaimed as he pumped his fists in the air. When he got that test result back in the middle of the night, he broke out into a happy dance. Thank the gods he had his own place or else his old roommates would throw shit at him. 

“I can’t believe it took them that long,” he said. 

“Fuckers did it on purpose.” Everybody and their mother wanted him knocking up a stranger for the sake of ‘preserving Soldier,’ or whatever the fuck that questionnaire said. He’d be cool with it if that stranger happened to be Cloud.

“Zack, language.” 

They entered the break room and made a beeline towards the pile of homemade cookies. One of the Shinra staff brought her leftovers for the First Class soldiers only, stirring a lot of jealousy from the lower ranks. 

“They told me I would know by end-of-business-hours _yesterday_, Ange!” Zack nibbled on one of the cookies. “I got that email at three-thirty this morning!”

He looked at him. “Three-thirty?”

“Yeah! It was so nerve-wracking waiting around for it, so I took a bunch of sleep meds in hopes of passing out.” It worked for a good four hours before his soldier metabolism forced him to piss the excess out.

Angeal stayed quiet as he stared at him.

_ Keep Cloud safe._ That was Zack’s voice.

He still couldn’t remember anything about his so-called nightmare except for those three words.

“Angeal?” Zack asked with a tilt of his head. He finished his first cookie and was already on his second one.

He snapped out of his reverie. “Sorry.”

“What’s up with you? Is Genesis mad or something?”

_I’d rather it be something I’m used to versus something that I can’t explain. _Then he decided to ask anyway. “Did you… have any strange dreams last night?”

“Last night? No, but over the past month I’ve been having sporadic dreams about Cloud.” He sucked the chocolate from his thumb, eyes flashing at the vivid memories of fucking the cute blond. “I can’t wait to see him tonight…” Gods, the things he wanted to do to his Cloudy should be illegal. It’s too bad that he had to share him, or else he’d never return to HQ. This whole soulmate thing still sounded like bullshit, but ever since Cloud was brought to Midgar, he hasn’t been the same since then. Their friendship evolved _overnight_, which shouldn’t have happened after a seven-year hiatus. Zack also had a tough time believing that an omega could have two alpha mates. However, if Cloudy had another scent gland on his inner thigh, then they might as well come to terms with sharing him. So much for letting Cloud choose his one and only mate.

That’s probably not the answer he was hoping for. “Never mind then.”

“You sure you’re okay? You seem kinda preoccupied with something.”

“Don’t worry about it, really. I’m fine.”

Zack wasn’t convinced in the least bit. But if Angeal ever had something bothering him, he would have mentioned it by now. “Well, you know you can talk to me if you need to vent. You always do it for me, so I’ll always do it for you too.”

Angeal smiled. “Thanks, Zack.”

“Oh yeah! I meant to ask you—what did you think of Cloud?” He grinned and laced his hands behind his head. When Angeal returned with a blush on his face, he merely shoved the containers of food in Seph’s hands and promptly walked away. Thankfully, Genesis wasn’t around to yell at him about his reaction.

With a chuckle, he poured his cup of coffee. “He’s absolutely adorable.”

“You didn’t feel horny towards him, like Gen?” He couldn’t believe that Genesis showed interest in another omega. Sephiroth was still mad about it, but Zack found it intriguing. Genesis was always _Angeal-sexual_—and of course Sephiroth-sexual—but that was about it.

“Not really. But he said that I smelled like you.”

“Really?” He dropped his arms to the side and approached him. His nostrils twitched as he took in Angeal’s scent. “I can only pick up you and Gen.”

“That’s what I said. I don’t smell you on me at all. However, I smelled a lot of _you_ on _him_.”

“Huh? How is that possible? I haven’t seen him since last month!”

Angeal put a hand on his chin. “Why is it that Gen became aroused, but I didn’t? Yet I smell like you, and Gen smells like Seph?” Did all of this have to do with their weakened bond?

“Well, the four of us are so close that maybe our scents permanently mixed around.”

“Hm…” he felt that there was more to it than just friendship. “I’m not going to put any more thought into it.” Best not to dwell on something he didn’t know how to answer.

“By the way,” Zack began as they left the break room. “Thank you for being one of our escorts tonight.”

“I’m still not fond of Seph’s plan, but if it helps you see Cloud then I’ll do what I can to be your… wingman.”

He dropped his gaze with a small smile on his face. “I don’t want to lose Cloudy again.” Zack couldn’t shake off the fact that Cloud spent his first heat in _solitary confinement. _If only he stayed another year in Gongaga; if only he went home to check on Cloud, then the guilt wouldn’t have eaten him for this entire time. The only reason he left for Midgar was to avoid Shinra finding _him_ instead. But the past was done. Zack would do whatever it took to be with Cloudy, including manipulating that mating schedule. When Sephiroth learned about his secret plan, a small smirk appeared on his face.

“_A favor is a favor.”_

Zack originally didn’t want him on the schedule. He debated for hours if he should include Shinra’s favorite soldier on that list. However, with the whole soulmate thing, it would be hard to shake off someone who also had strong connections to Cloud.

Angeal slowly turned to face Zack. His eyes widened as far as they would go when he suddenly remembered an important snippet his dream:

_Fire. All he saw was fire._

_“Zack! It’s dangerous!” Angeal shouted while he held an unconscious Cloud in his arms._

_ Zack shook his head with a somber smile and cupped Cloud’s cheek. “I don’t want to lose Cloudy again.” Indigo eyes met his gaze and he added, “Keep _ _Cloud __safe. For me… and… for our child…”_

“Angeal?” Zack called while waving his hands in front of his face.

Goosebumps formed all over his body, causing him to take a deep breath.

Was that—was that a _premonition_?

* * *

Seventh Heaven’s doors opened at dusk.

Cloud paced back and forth in the dressing room, biting his thumbnail down to the skin. His anxiety forced him to avoid food before the dance. He needed the energy to sustain him throughout the night, especially when Seph heavily implied that they would do more than dance together. Aerith handed him several nutritional bars, but Cloud’s nausea won over his hunger. Instead of hugging the toilet, he decided to forgo eating altogether and drank a lot of water.

“It’s a dance, not a speech,” Aerith said with her hands on her hips. Donned in only her bra and underwear, she watched her fellow omega continue pacing.

“I-It’s not the dance I’m worried about…” He sat on the ottoman with a huff and twiddled his thumbs. “I’m expecting some folks.”

“Huh?!” Yuffie stopped putting on her makeup and turned to him. “Who?”

“Z-Zack and… Seph…”

“WHAT?!” she shouted.

“Cloud…” Aerith sat next to him. “Did we hear you right?!”

“Yeah.” He told them about Seph’s plan.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Yuffie stood in front of them. “You mean to tell me that the world’s greatest soldier is about to step foot in our _club_?”

“Uh, is that bad?”

“It’s…” she glanced at Aerith, who nodded, “concerning because he will draw unwanted attention.” Tifa and Barret probably won’t be too excited when they see the silver-haired alpha in the crowd.

“Oh…” Cloud didn’t think about that. He was more excited over the fact that Seph went to such lengths just to see him again. “I’m sorry.”

Aerith waved it away. “No need to apologize. Our club is here for everyone to have a good time.” Fuck the rules. Cloud pined over his alphas and now his short-term abstinence was no more. Plus, Sephiroth’s presence will probably boost attendance, which meant more money. If they weren’t going to make much bank with a male omega, then they definitely would with the famous alpha. “Which means we need to do last minute costume changes for you!”

“Wha?” he glanced down at his current outfit. “What’s wrong with what I have on?”

“If you guys plan on hooking up afterwards, you need to go all out!”

Yuffie hurried over to her locker. “I think I still have that outfit that guy bought me.” There was a soldier who adored her so much that he bought her an entire wardrobe. Most of the clothes she liked, but the rest were not exactly tasteful. She wasn’t allowed to accept personal gifts from alphas, but given the amount of gil she made during her time at Seventh Heaven, Tifa and Barret made a few exceptions. Thankfully, that guy mated with another omega before he got weird and stalked her (like the others). 

“The fishnet one?!”

“Fishnet?” Cloud felt his face turn red. He had no idea what that meant, but given the glint in Aerith’s eyes, he wasn’t too confident they would make him wear something normal.

“Yup.” Yuffie cheered in excitement when she found it. “Okay, country boy, let’s give them a reason to not ghost you anymore!”

Outside of Seventh Heaven’s doors stood Sephiroth, Zack, Angeal, and Genesis. All four men weren’t wearing their Soldier uniforms—as part of the club rules. The last thing the place needed was a Turk wondering why a group of uniforms surrounded a bar in the slums. Sephiroth ran his fingers through his ponytail, an anxious gesture that only his friends were able to notice.

“Seph,” Genesis said, “calm down.”

“I wonder if I should have dyed my hair before we came out here?” he whispered.

“That wasn’t part of your plan, so no.”

“But I thought the crowd would be much larger from the way those soldiers bragged about this place.” They stood out from the others, not only because of his hair, but because the ‘Student Council’ was together in the slums.

The red head sighed. “It’s called the ‘best kept secret’ for a reason.” Otherwise, Shinra would have shut this place down months ago. “Besides, not all clubs are like the ones in the movies where half the city is partying.”

Zack asked, “Gen, how did you know about this bar anyway?”

“Again, no gossip gets past _me_.”

“Would you have told us if Seph didn’t say anything first?”

“Only if you two kept whining about Cloud.”

He looked dissatisfied. “Thanks, I think.”

Angeal sighed. “I’d rather it not be crowded because I don’t think I can handle the sudden wave of scents all around.

Genesis said, “Well, that may change since we’re right on time. Normal people show up much later.” He tried to get them to understand what ‘fashionably late’ meant, but Seph insisted that they got here at the allotted time.

“Do you think I should call Cloud?” Sephiroth whispered. “I don’t see him.”

“You said he already knew the location, right?”

“Yes, but he may have gotten lost.” The alpha dug his hands into his pockets, gripping the phone as he debated on whether to call him or not. “I made the mistake assuming he would be fine coming here on his own.” The last time Cloud roamed the city, he got attacked.

Genesis and Angeal looked at each other in shock. Sephiroth was _nervous _about an omega_._ Once again, Cloud brought out the human side of him. It was Genesis who said, “He took the fashionably late advice to heart.”

He gave him a pointed look. “This is Cloud we’re talking about.”

“There’s the old Seph…” Angeal whispered next to Genesis, who chuckled.

Zack scanned their surroundings, hoping they wouldn’t bump into a Turk. “How long does it take to get in? I thought doors opened at seven?”

Genesis answered, “Security has to check for bond marks on escorts. Remember, you two wouldn’t be allowed in if it weren’t for Ange and me.”

“Who’s the security?”

“Mostly bound alphas. They receive minor compensation for their efforts.”

Zack frowned. “Then what about the other betas and omegas?”

“Technically this is a popular spot for only omegas, but on certain weekends it’s open to everybody. Betas who are here to party must have a mated escort, and omegas don’t have to, but it’s strongly encouraged. However, security is stricter on alphas for obvious reasons.” He was told that the worst offenders at Seventh Heaven were all unmated alphas. Most of the betas just got into bar fights with them, but the alphas targeted only the omegas.

“Gen,” Angeal said, “I’m really surprised you knew all of this.”

“Well, when you help omegas as part of your side job, they tend to trust you with a lot of juicy info.” He swiped his bangs to the side. “Besides, this is a nice change of scenery because I’ve gotten bored with the beta bars.”

“You love those bars because of how they worship alphas.”

“It is exhausting being the greatest person alive.”

After another thirty minutes of waiting, the four entered the club. Sephiroth wrinkled his nose at the variety of scents inside the bar. _Angeal was right._

“The party is this way,” Genesis pointed at a stairwell.

Zack looked around the room._ Is this the right place? _ Most of the tables and chairs were empty, and there was a giant dancing cage hanging above a platform—with _nobody_ in it. Multi-colored lights surrounded the area, but _nobody_ was on the dance floor. “Then what’s all this for?”

“A cover, silly. The _real _party is downstairs.”

They arrived on the lower floor, gawking at the sheer _size _of the underground club.

Seventh Heaven was packed with people dancing to the heavy bass. Lights flashed everywhere, giving Sephiroth an instant headache. The soldier squinted when blue lights briefly ran over his face. He growled and stood behind Angeal, resting his forehead against his back.

“You alright?” his friend asked.

“Lights, scents, noise…” Gods, maybe they should have met at a park or something.

“This happened before,” Genesis gave room for the other couple rushing down the stairs to join the dance floor. “Did you not take your meds this time?”

“I refuse to allow those stupid side effects ruin my evening.”

Genesis and Angeal learned a long time ago that Sephiroth sometimes took medication for his sensitivity to excess stimulation. However, the side effects involved an… overly affectionate Sephiroth. “Don’t you want that, though?” Genesis said close to his ear.

He glared at him. “I refuse to roll around on this dirty dance floor _purring_, Gen.”

Confused, Zack looked at Angeal hoping for an explanation. 

“Like a cat with catnip, basically,” he said.

“O-kay… Then how ‘bout I get us drinks and you guys find a spot?”

Genesis already found the perfect location, he just needed to bully those ugly people away. “Great. I’ll formally introduce us to that group over there.” He left their spot with a smirk on his face.

Angeal quickly followed him, pulling Sephiroth along. Now he had to temporarily keep an eye on his friend _and _his mate. “Gen! Don’t get us kicked out!”

Zack approached the bar and gazed at the numerous bottles stacked on the shelves, debating over which mixed drink he wanted to purchase. “Hmm, I already know Gen and Ange’s preferences, but I’m not so sure about Seph…” Should he even bother if the alpha was already weakened by the club’s atmosphere?

“Hello, sir, what will it be?” A woman’s voice asked.

“I’ll order a—" Zack froze in place when he recognized her. “TIFA?!”

“ZACK?!” She stared back at him with wide eyes. “Oh my gods…”

“I…” he cleared his throat and took a few steps back from the bar. “Uh…” Holy shit, the _last_ person he needed to see was his ex-girlfriend in the same club where he planned to meet Cloud. “Long time no see?”

Tifa hoped for the longest time that when Cloud mentioned an alpha named Zack, he was talking about another guy and not her ex-boyfriend. However, the gods played dirty by forcing her face-to-face with the one man who almost made her write off alphas for good, if it wasn’t for Barret. _This is a joke, right? _“L-Likewise…”

“You work here now?”

“Sort of.” She let out a huff. “Cloud didn’t say anything about you being here, though.” Which meant Sephiroth was probably here too. This kinda made things complicated if two of the best soldiers were here.

“Huh? You know Cloud?”

She frowned. _Oh, he wasn’t the one who told them about this place_. “It’s a long story, really.” She gestured to the stack behind her. “So, what will it be?”

“Is Barret here too, by chance?” In the short time he knew the guy, he distinctly remembered Barret’s strange attachment to Tifa.

Partly annoyed that he didn’t order a drink yet, she shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah. He works here with me. You know, like a real alpha would do when they care about someone.” She didn’t want to bring her unresolved feelings here, but it felt good getting that out.

“I told you for the hundredth time that I was in my rut cycle!”

“And I told _you_ the other hundred times that I was available!”

“I didn’t want our first time to be like _that_!”

Their shouting drew enough unwanted stares, forcing them to calm down. Tifa shook her head and started walking away until Zack called for her to stay.

“Since you know Cloud, I assume you also know about my relationship with him,” he said.

“Y-Yeah.”

“Do you know where he is? We’re supposed to meet him here.”

‘We’ confirmed that Sephiroth was here too. “He’s already here. You’ll see him soon enough.”

“Huh?”

“Just give me your drink orders. Please? I’ll have someone deliver them to your table.”

Zack finally placed his orders and weaved through the crowd to find his friends. The story behind his relationship with Tifa was like every other popular drama series. Zack met Tifa when he was still a Second, and the two hit it off upon discovering their close ages. She sometimes felt insecure about her beta status, but Zack claimed that he didn’t care about her rank.

However, his rut cycle ruined their chances of a long-term commitment. At that time, his irregular cycle made things difficult. Zack went to Honey Bee Inn instead, leaving Tifa angry over the fact that he chose other betas besides her. He claimed that he didn’t want to hurt her, but she told him that she accepted all of him, including his rut cycles.

_ “What about the mating schedule, huh? They’ll eventually add me on there!” he exclaimed._

_ “That’s different! I can’t get mad over Shinra’s rule!”_

_ “That makes no sense, Tifa.”_

_ “It does to me because willingly choosing a brothel over me says a lot about your priorities!”_

How Barret factored into the equation? It all started with a simple friendly introduction. Then Barret stole Tifa away right before Shinra discharged him. Honestly, after hearing that Barret was still with her, he felt a sense of relief. Zack remembered their chemistry to be a lot stronger than what he had with her.

Sigh.

Zack found his friends casually sitting on a corner sofa. “Yo! They’re gonna hand us our drinks soon.” Angeal had his head buried in his hands, Sephiroth looked irritated, and Genesis looked smug with his legs crossed. Their current demeanors were perfect representations of their personalities.

“Wonderful,” said Genesis.”

“Did you really kick those guys off this couch?”

“Actually, Seph did it.” His friend was already in a bad mood from the flashing lights and wanted those guys gone so he could sit down and collect himself. “I just stood next to him for the added intimidation effect.”

Angeal slowly rose his head. “Keep this up and we’ll be kicked out before Cloud shows up!”

“Where is the little dove anyway?” he scanned the room for pretty blondes, ignoring those with the terrible dye jobs. Either Cloud truly did get lost on his way over here or… A smirk appeared on his face when he remembered one of Seventh Heaven’s dirty little secrets. _Or he’s one of the omega dancers for tonight._

Genesis looked at the performers above and froze in place when he spotted the familiar, spiky-haired blond dancing away between two girls—one with short black hair styled in a fauxhawk, and the brunette with her hair styled in pigtails. All three wore masks that only showed their eyes. However, Cloud…

They _deliberately _made him the star of the show.

Donned in a black, full-bodied fishnet outfit, Cloud wore a matching leather bra and shorts underneath. Each time he rolled his hips against the pole, those shorts drew tight across his ass. To top off his look, he wore black combat boots. “I think I found him.”

“Where?” Angeal frowned at Gen’s expression and looked at the cage as well, going completely rigid when he saw Cloud. “Guys…”

Zack and Sephiroth looked at their friends before focusing their attention to the three dancers positioned high above the crowd.

“Is that—” Zack thought his heart just stopped.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth finished, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.

Cloud danced in the cage, remembering what he learned in a month’s time. The girls had more confidence than him when it came to strutting around practically _naked_. He thought they were crazy when they chose this outfit, but Aerith insisted that he needed his debut to be memorable. Somehow, he pulled through, even with the combat boots. Cloud figured he would fall on his butt several times throughout the night, but strangely enough he found them to be comfortable for dancing.

The music transitioned to a different genre, and the neon lights switched to red mixed with purple. As fog erupted from the ceiling and billowed onto the dancefloor, Cloud silently thanked his omega friends that his mask prevented him from inhaling it nonstop. Aerith said that the mask was often used for that reason alone, but it conveniently added more appeal for their punk theme.

Yuffie moved behind him and yelled, “Look around!”

Cloud almost tripped when he caught the gazes of not only his alphas, but nearly _everyone_ in the club. “Wh—” Should he stop dancing and go home?

“Cloud!” Aerith shouted, never breaking her stride, “Let’s knock them dead!”

He shook out of his embarrassment after hearing her words. Cloud realized that this was _his chance_ to seduce his alphas for once. No more waiting at home for them to magically show up—he’ll give them a reason to ‘never ghost him again,’ as Yuffie said earlier. _Watch me._

Sephiroth sat on the couch never blinking away from his omega. Cloud moved his body in a manner that was unlike the timid blond he thought he knew. That outfit was already temptation enough, but to learn that Cloud knew very well about Seventh Heaven’s fame for their omega dancers—to the point of showcasing his own talents—would forever be imprinted in his mind. He worried over Cloud’s safety for _nothing_. _You little devil._

Zack finally swallowed after drool rolled down the side of his chin. At some point the waiter brought their drinks, but none of the four soldiers paid attention to him. He quickly grabbed his drink, downing the alcohol in one sitting. It gave him a nice burn in his throat, which helped him briefly come back to his senses. His baby Cloudy, his sweet sunshine, his golden chicobo—was no longer the shy childhood friend that he adored so much! _Cloudy, you’ve captured me._

Genesis let out a shaky breath when he felt a throb on the side of his head. His fingers rubbed the spot in hopes to soothe the ache. _Why am I even affected by an omega? _Out of all the omegas in the club, including the other dancers with Cloud, he only seemed to care about the blond. _Strange._ “I’d like to know how he managed to be this good in barely a month’s time.” When no one replied, he pinched Angeal’s thigh, glaring at him. “Mr. Hewley, may I remind you that we have a broken bond to fix?”

He closed his eyes, mentally counting to five. This was the second time he struggled around Cloud. May the gods have mercy on him. “I was just… surprised, that’s all.”

“Hm,” he looked over his mate’s shoulder at the other two. Both men were still trapped in the little dove’s spell. “Quench your thirst with alcohol, not omega pheromones.”

Angeal finished his drink much like Zack. “Sorry, Gen.”

Sephiroth somehow reached for his drink without dropping his gaze. The minute Cloud knelt on the floor of the cage, running his hands up his fishnet-clad chest, the alpha broke the glass in his hands.

“Whoa!” Zack ducked when glass flew past him. “Seph! Watch it!”

“Cloud…” he muttered, unfazed that his hand was drenched in alcohol.

Genesis chuckled before taking a sip of his margarita. “Seems like his headache went away.”

Angeal examined his friend’s hand for cuts, partly concerned that Sephiroth _still hasn’t_ _blinked_ since they spotted Cloud. “Seph, I will need you to look away for a second.”

_Mine._ Sephiroth’s eyes glowed the longer he stared at Cloud.

He stiffened at the expression on his face and cautiously sniffed his neck. “Seph, are you…” His rut cycle was rather late now that he thought about it. Sephiroth had a unique schedule to where his was every two months. The last time his rut cycle hit was _before_ he met Cloud.

Genesis took one quick look at Sephiroth and rolled his eyes. “No, he’s just horny.” Amazing that his friend experienced several different emotions in an hour’s time.

“There’s a difference?”

“He would have broken that cage by now.” The thing most people forget about Sephiroth was that when he wanted something, he would obtain it no matter what. However, years of restraint forced him to repress his desires, unless his rut cycle happened. Everybody in this building would know if Seph was in rut.

“But Gen, if Cloud managed to arouse him then what about the other omegas?” The last time Seph had his rut around omegas was when the Science Department subjected him to those awful things. Who knows what Seph will be like now that he met Cloud!

Sephiroth snarled, baring his teeth when he watched Cloud run his hand down his unmarked neck. “I want Cloud.”

Genesis gestured to his feral best friend. “See? He only wants one.”

Zack decided that the longer they sat here popping boners, the longer they had to wait for Cloud to get his ass over here. “I’ll get him down.” Best that he did it before Seph tried something that would get them in major trouble.

He maneuvered through the crowd, growling at the betas who acted like they didn’t know how to move to the side. Even the alphas tried to be cute, but all he did was push them harder. Zack wasn’t in the mood for an ego challenge, but he remembered some of their faces when they kept staring at Cloud.

The blond stopped dancing when he watched Zack approach him. For a while, he sensed Seph and Zack’s lust from across the club. Their heated gazes startled him, but he kept dancing regardless. He ignored everyone else in the club and maintained his focus on the two alphas he wanted to seduce—and it _worked._

Zack stood in the middle of the dancefloor with that confident expression on his face. The surrounding crowd watched him, eager to see if he would break the omegas out of their cage. A few security guards hovered nearby, waiting for him to make his first move. But Zack remained in his spot, his smirk never faltering as Cloud crawled closer to the edge of the cage. Indigo eyes held his omega’s gaze, and he beckoned him closer. _Come out and play with me. _

Aerith, who had her legs wrapped around the pole to hold her in place, was already ahead of them as she unlocked the top of the cage with a key. The rule was that they weren’t allowed out until Barret got them. He had his key, but she made an extra one just for an occasion like this. _What a babe! _she thought to herself when the lock came apart and she pushed the top door open. It’s no wonder Cloud grew nervous about them— Zack and Sephiroth were some of the hottest alphas in this club!

Barret shouted from the crowd, “HEY! Get back in there, or you’ll get hurt!” He saw Cloud climb out of the cage, breaking several club rules.

Tifa rushed behind him and jerked him back. He was a big man, but she was stronger. “Wait! It’s okay!” She looked at Zack. “He won’t let that happen.”

The alpha froze in place when he recognized the person standing close to the cage. “Zack?!” The last time they spoke was when he admitted to having feelings for Tifa. “If that’s the alpha Cloud was talking about…” He turned around and found Sephiroth, the greatest soldier known to mankind, watching Cloud like a predator. “We’re _so_ _fucked_!” Shinra will shut them down in a heartbeat.

“No,” Tifa gripped his arm even tighter, “they won’t give us any trouble.” She didn’t know those three on the couch, outside of the little she heard about Sephiroth, but intuition told her that they were only here for one person. All _four_ of those alphas had more composure than most of the alphas in the room.

Cloud jumped off the cage without a second thought. He was reminded of the many times he played trust fall games with Zack back in Gongaga. Zack always caught him with ease, sometimes allowing his clumsiness to bring them both down.

Yet in this situation, Zack held Cloud tightly against his body, taking advantage of their position to sniff him. The alpha growled against his ear and nuzzled damp skin. Cloud smelled like those other omegas, but the rosy scent overpowered his nostrils. _Mine._

“Hello to you too,” Cloud’s muffled voice came from behind the mask. When a nose bumped against his scent gland, he shivered.

“Hey Barret!” A guy shouted from the corner. “I’m putting a fat tip down for blondie up there!”

Several other voices shouted at Tifa and Barret as they raised their hands full of gil. Tifa stifled her laughter before she signaled for the waiters to collect those tips. _What a night._

Zack approached the couch with Cloud in his arms. He overheard a few people whisper that they couldn’t believe Cloud was an omega. Some were even bold enough to sniff when he walked past them.

The music switched to a popular song, distracting the curious onlookers back onto the dance floor. Cloud buried his head on Zack’s shoulder when he noticed Sephiroth sitting with Angeal and Genesis. _I… really danced in front of them. _Are they gonna laugh at him? Were his seduction tactics too corny?

The second Cloud was placed next to Sephiroth, a hand removed his mask and lips pressed against his. _I guess not._

Sephiroth’s inner alpha became delighted that he could finally touch his beautiful omega for the first time in what felt like forever. His hand cupped a cheek as he deepened the kiss, swallowing Cloud’s soft groans. He pulled back with a sensuous purr and kissed his way down the omega’s throat. His tongue trailed across his neck, tasting jasmine-scented sweat on his tongue. _I long to be inside you again._

Cloud tilted his head back with a moan, giving Zack an opening to kiss him as well. Hands dug into spiky black hair as a tongue immediately slipped between his lips. Each caress of Zack’s tongue sent sparks of pleasure down his belly. His body became hot as his alphas gave him so much pleasure. _More._

“You… you know we’re still in the club, right?” Angeal asked, trying to ignore their aroused scents.

Zack moved back and smiled at Cloud’s lustful expression. The makeup he wore enhanced his beauty, particularly his adorable baby blues. “Everyone needs to know who Cloud belongs to.” He didn’t miss the small shudder from his omega. “Especially the ones over there.”

“Who?” Sephiroth’s sharp gaze landed on a few voyeurs. None of those men looked intimidating in the least bit. “Hmph.” As if they had the guts to even breathe near what’s rightfully his.

“Shall we give them a show?” Zack’s finger slipped underneath one of the many holes in Cloud’s attire, teasing his side.

Genesis loudly replied, “Sex isn’t allowed, you two.”

“I want to warn everyone that he’s mine.”

“No foreplay either.”

“Nobody’s getting naked.” He maneuvered Cloud to sit in his lap, positioning his legs over Sephiroth’s thighs. He nipped and licked down his omega’s neck, carefully avoiding his scent gland.

Cloud arched his back at the sensation, closing his eyes with a moan. He should be mega embarrassed over the fact that they were doing something intimate in public. But his lust clouded his thoughts when a hand ran over his fishnet-clad thighs. “Please…”

Indigo eyes darted to the silver-haired alpha, who playfully tugged at the netting, his glowing green eyes lingering on the omega’s face. Zack then watched those same alphas shoot glares at him as he held Cloud tighter against his chest. _Try and take him from me._

Tifa stomped over to the five men on the couch and dumped a pitcher of icy water over Zack. She felt a little sorry when some of it also got on Cloud. “You three need to take that outside.”

He growled at her, ignoring droplets of water running down his face. “What the _fuck_?!”

“You’re trying to pick a fight. I cannot have that here, Zack.” She had too much faith in alphas around an unmated omega. The other two seemed to be more interested in how their friends would play with Cloud. _Silly of me to think these four men were mature alphas._

He shook the water out of his hair. “I’m just fooling around!”

“If you keep this up, then you’ll give alphas and betas an excuse to harass the omegas.” She dug into her pocket and held up a key. “There’s an apartment not far from here. We rent it out for those who want… privacy.” She usually didn’t do this but given that Zack and Sephiroth were all over Cloud, she needed to move them out of this club to avoid any confrontations.

_Well, this made my night easier, _Sephiroth thought to himself as Zack took the key. “Very well.” He stood and helped Cloud off the couch. “We will depart for the night.”

Genesis quirked a brow at Seph’s cool demeanor when just a few minutes ago, he was being obnoxious over Cloud. “What, no dancing?”

“Change of plans,” he replied as he pulled Cloud to follow him. “Have fun you two.” He waved at them without turning around.

“Sephiroth abandoned his friends for _sex_,” Angeal said in disbelief.

“We raised him well,” Genesis pretended to wipe a tear from his eye.

_Sephiroth stood in the middle of the room with an annoyed look on his face._

_ “My child growls whenever I’m eating.”_

_ Genesis tried not to laugh at his friend’s discovery. “Maybe it’s genetic.”_

_ “I’ll have you know that is a _learned behavior_.”_

_ He smirked at him, knowing very well who taught the child how to growl for food. “We raised him well,” he simply replied._

“Genesis?” Angeal saw the strange look on his mate’s face after Sephiroth and the others disappeared upstairs.

The red head blinked out of his reverie. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sharp pain in his temple caused him to wince. “Ngh!”

“Gen! Are you alright?”

There’s no way one drink gave him a headache. Genesis closed his eyes and rested his head on Angeal’s shoulder. “Ange, let’s go because we need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day, I'm going to get better with creativity and not always write the Party Scene that Ends Up in Sex Scene but today is not that day.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Thankfully, their trek to the apartment was a short one. Sephiroth carried Cloud inside the building and gently placed him on the bed. The two never separated since they left the club, leaving Zack longing for his fair share of kisses. Not only did Tifa piss him off when she _purposefully_ dumped that pitcher of water on him, but Sephiroth’s constant possessiveness over Cloud irritated him to no end. Locking the door behind him, he immediately disappeared into the bathroom.

Cloud knelt on the bed kissing Sephiroth. He weaved his fingers through Seph’s ponytail, moaning as hands trailed down his sides. “I missed you,” he whispered against his lips. He grabbed Sephiroth’s face and pulled him closer for another kiss.

The silver-haired alpha smiled behind their kiss and whispered back, “I missed you too.”

Zack walked back into the bedroom while rubbing the towel over his head. _Sharing is caring, I guess. _He tossed it to the side and sat on the bed, patiently waiting for his turn. He touched the omega’s arm, distracting him from the other alpha to finally give him a kiss.

“I missed you, Zack.” Cloud rubbed his nose against his scent gland—an acknowledgement that he was a mate candidate.

Zack smirked at the cool gaze from Sephiroth. Nuzzling one’s scent gland was already an intimate act, but when an omega initiated it first, it was a sign that they accepted an interested alpha as their mate. “Missed you more, Cloudy.” He drew soft lips into another full-tongue kissing session.

Sephiroth crawled on the bed. “What about me?” He kissed the omega’s lower back. “Aren’t I a suitable candidate?” After all, _he _was the one who thought of their secret meeting.

Cloud turned around with a smile. “Of course.” He nuzzled his scent gland. “I accept both of you.”

Zack tried not to laugh when he said, “In the old days, Seph and I would have to fight for you.”

“You kinda already do that.”

“I meant physically fight.”

“I can arrange that,” Sephiroth kissed the top of Cloud’s head. “I’d win anyway.” _And Cloud will be all mine._

Zack glared at him. “Weren’t you the one who always told me that overconfidence destroyed a person?”

“Hmph. There’s no need to be overconfident with you as my opponent.” He pulled Cloud to sit in his lap. “Cloud’s scent is all I need as motivation.”

Cloud looked annoyed. He stifled his automatic omega response whenever two alphas quarreled. _My point was made right on the spot. _“Guys, can we just push the bullshit aside and… uh… you know…?”

“Not only do you know how to seduce us with your dance, but you also learned how to curse,” Sephiroth said.

Zack began taking off Cloud’s boots. “What ever shall we do with this new Cloudy?”

“Tell us what you want, omega,” he trailed his tongue along the curve of his ear, earning a small gasp from the blond. He did it again, only this time he brought his tongue to the back of Cloud’s neck. The erotic sound that came out of Cloud’s mouth would forever be remembered.

Indigo eyes watched Cloud’s cheeks turn pink. “Seph, do that again.”

The omega panicked and tried to wiggle from the alpha’s grip. “N-No! Ah!” he mewled at the feel of Seph’s tongue. “S-Stop!”

Sephiroth had an idea and Zack would probably hate him for it, but if Cloud responded so eagerly to just a lick then…

_Mark him._

Cloud screamed when teeth sank into his neck. His eyes rolled back at the painful, yet enjoyable feeling of the alpha’s bite. _Wh-what?! _ He blindly reached for Zack, who caught his flailing hands and kissed them.

“I got ya, Cloudy.” Zack was a little pissed that Sephiroth went ahead and marked Cloud. Thank the gods it wasn’t _that _mark, but still, he preferred that they waited until Cloud’s heat came in a few months. _Impatient bastard._

Sephiroth slowly released Cloud’s neck, his green eyes blazing in excitement at the power rush from partially claiming an omega. He licked his lips and tasted blood mixed with jasmine. This wasn’t a bond mark, but an Alpha’s Mark—a warning to any other alpha or beta to back off from Cloud. The only difference between the two marks was that the bond mark never faded; however, the Alpha’s Mark faded after a year. Some even called it an engagement ring, simply because it was often confused with a bond mark.

The blond went limp against Sephiroth’s chest with a dazed expression. A small purr reverberated in his ears, followed by soft licks on his new wound. “Mm…”

“Apologies, Cloud,” he whispered before nuzzling soft, spiky hair. There’s no way they could hide this from Shinra now. But after Zack’s plan to manipulate the mating schedule, Sephiroth felt confident in his last-minute decision. He had to do it after catching those hungry looks from the other men at Seventh Heaven. Everyone needed to be aware that the omega belonged to him.

A goofy smile appeared on Cloud’s face when his attention remained on Zack. His inner omega cried for the second mark, or else he wouldn’t feel complete. “Give me one too.”

Zack wasn’t sure if it would work, but if all three of them were soulmates then he should test the theory with a pseudo-bond. “Turn around.” When Cloud did as instructed, his breath hitched at the sight displayed before him. These shorts did _little_ to cover his ass. Zack gave it a playful slap, smirking at the squeak from his cute Cloudy. “Hold still.”

Cloud gripped Sephiroth’s thighs when Zack bit him. He shivered at the conflicting sensations once again, moaning when Zack held his hips in place. Lust coiled in his belly to the point of feeling euphoric, but it still wasn’t enough. He ached to have something inside him—something that only these two men could fulfill. “Yes…” he let out another high-pitched moan when he felt Zack’s hard cock press against his ass. _Give it to me._

Sephiroth grabbed the omega’s chin and gazed into those baby blues. “Oh, I like this face.”

Zack moved back with a deep growl, admiring his additional mark. His canines ached to sink into Cloud’s scent gland, but this will have to do for now. All he could taste was Cloud, and after one quick whiff, his lips formed a wicked grin. He knew that smell from when he first made love to him. “He’s also very wet.” He leaned near Cloud’s ear. “You want it, don’t you?” 

Cloud grinded his hips against the alpha’s crotch in reply, whimpering as he gazed into green depths in front of him. “I… I need it.”

He wasted no time as he ripped a hole in the fishnet attire, big enough to expose Cloud’s shorts. He tore those off without a second thought, practically salivating upon seeing slick trail down pale thighs. “If this is your response to our marks, imagine what it will be like when we give you a bond mark?” The moment he said that his inner alpha growled at the hope of properly claiming Cloud. “Fuck, I can’t wait.”

Sephiroth pulled Cloud closer for a kiss. “Again, what do you need?”

“I need _you_,” he whispered. Eyes completely lidded, he wanted nothing more than to fall into their web of desires. “Please… alpha…”

He grinned and brushed his nose against Cloud’s cheek. “I like it when you beg.”

Cloud moaned when he felt a tongue circle his entrance. His hands held Sephiroth’s shirt tightly in his grip as Zack slid his tongue inside. “Z-Zack!” Lips crashed against his seconds later, swallowing his cries of pleasure from the alpha behind him.

Sephiroth freed his cock from his jeans and brought Cloud’s hand down to touch its head. Instinctively, Cloud grabbed it, causing him to groan in the kiss. One simple touch shouldn’t feel this amazing, but something about Cloud’s innocence made his body burn with lust. The gentle squeezes combined with his aroused scent put Sephiroth in a headspace that was almost _primal._ He told Zack to hold Cloud while he removed his pants. _I must have his mouth._

Afterwards, Zack positioned Cloud lower between Sephiroth’s legs. He didn’t waste any time as he slid two fingers inside Cloud, reveling in those mewls followed by hips pushing back against him. Indigo eyes lingered on ripped fishnet against his ass, mentally thanking himself for not completely taking off the outfit. He’d rather fuck Cloud just like this.

Cloud saw them naked more than enough times, but this was his first time being _so close_ to an alpha’s cock. He marveled over how hot and hard it felt in his palm, briefly closing his eyes from Zack’s ministrations. He fought to concentrate on the person in front of him when his attention was mostly on the hand between his own legs. Zack started stroking him, and he wasn’t sure if he could hold out for any longer.

“Just do what feels natural,” Sephiroth said as he watched him struggle. He signaled for Zack to slow his foreplay. As much as he wanted to make Cloud come many times tonight, he also figured that they had plenty of future opportunities.

His fingers trailed lower until it touched the base of his cock. It was much wider than the shaft—designed for its natural purpose. Cloud moaned and rubbed his nose against it, wishing it were inside him already. He tentatively licked up the shaft and towards the head of Sephiroth’s cock, tasting his alpha’s essence leaking from the tip.

Sephiroth ran his hands through Cloud’s hair, eyes glowing brightly once again as the omega explored his cock. His lips parted as he watched Cloud with wonder, surprised that someone so innocent could also be downright daring. He brought his thumb to Cloud’s occupied lips and stretched the side of his mouth. “Suck on it.”

Nervousness quickly vanishing when Zack pressed against his prostate, Cloud let out a loud groan without breaking his gaze. He engulfed the head of Seph’s cock right when the thumb moved away. Saliva coated down the shaft, but Cloud kept going as if trying to prove something to his alpha. Right when he thought he did something cool, his gag reflex forced him to pull back with coughs.

“Easy…” he whispered, half-aroused and half-amused by his omega’s attempt. He wiped away Cloud’s spit-trail on his chin. “You’re not at that point yet.”

Zack bit Cloud’s ass cheek before chuckling. Deepthroating Sephiroth on the first try was nearly impossible. “Horny little devil.”

Cloud bit his lip from the other alpha’s action. “Zack, please!” He turned his head, wiggling his ass in desperation. “I want it so badly! _Please_, Alpha!”

_Oh gods…_ the begging followed by his little submissive gesture was enough to make him comply. After stripping out of his clothes with haste, Zack slid his cock inside Cloud’s ass, cursing when tight heat welcomed him. He _longed_ to be inside his omega after a month of isolation. No more wet dreams and no more masturbatory fantasies; Cloudy was _right here_ and Zack would take advantage of their precious time together.

The blond moaned at the addictive feeling of an alpha’s cock stretching him. He grabbed Sephiroth’s hips and cried when Zack immediately began moving. “Zack!”

Sephiroth rubbed his cock against Cloud’s cheek. “We’re not done here.”

He took him in his mouth once again, moaning at the sensations from both his ass and his mouth. “Mm…”

He guided Cloud’s movements to synchronize with Zack’s thrusts. However, Zack became impatient and moved faster, almost causing Cloud to choke if he didn’t pull his head back in time. Cloud screamed and his fingers briefly touched Sephiroth’s spit-slicked cock, but he was too lost in pleasure to keep playing with it. Sephiroth, on the other hand, would be _damned_ if Zack took away _all _of his attention. “Little omega, do you wish to displease your alpha?”

With soft mewls and pleading looks, Cloud sucked Sephiroth again, this time keeping his mouth tight around the head. He didn’t try to take more of his alpha’s shaft, but he would do whatever it took to keep him happy.

He moaned when Cloud licked along the slit of his cock. “Much better.”

Zack never relented in his thrusts, and even reached towards Cloud’s neck and pushed his head lower on Seph’s cock. _Show him what you’re made to do. _He didn’t miss the surprised gasp from the other alpha, followed by a deep groan.

Cloud was briefly reminded of his dream before his thoughts only focused on pleasure. Zack never lifted his hold over him, but instead tightened his grip right below the fresh Alpha Marks. This was everything Cloud wanted from his alphas, and to know that he was the source of their arousal made his inner omega happy.

It wasn’t long before Zack pulled out with a curse and came all over Cloud’s back. The last thing he needed was to sedate him before he would enjoy that mouth. If Seph looked like that while getting head, then he deserved to feel it too. “Clean me up, Cloudy.”

When Cloud turned around, the silver-haired alpha almost lost his breath at the sight of Cloud’s ass still covered by the fishnet bodysuit. _Gods._ This tantalizing sight of another man’s cum spattered across his omega’s lower back should piss him off, but no anger was detected when all he could think about was adding _more_ of a mess. He swiftly took off his shirt without breaking his gaze at the omega pleasuring another alpha.

Cloud released Zack’s cock when Sephiroth asked that he roll onto his back. Zack slid a pillow underneath his head and knelt close to his face. The blond cried when Sephiroth entered him without warning. He grasped the sheets, trying to adjust to the sudden intrusion of someone bigger than Zack. “Ah! Seph!” Hands guided his legs back towards his chest and held them in place.

Zack stroked Cloud’s hair, enjoying the show. Sephiroth started off excruciatingly slow, giving Cloud time to adjust to his size. The look on his omega’s face prompted him to rub his softened cock across his lips. Plush lips parted to lick the head, and Sephiroth started moving faster. _You’re so fucking hot like this._

The blond worked hard to stave off his orgasm. Taking two alphas without a break almost made him come right then. However, he wanted his alphas to have their fun first. “Mm.”

Sephiroth let out a deep growl when he stared at smooth side of Cloud’s neck. His teeth ached to do the deed, but he had to wait—wait until Cloud’s heat came before he could finally bind them together. The thought alone sent sparks of desire down his spine. _Mine._

Zack moved back and said, “I wanna hear you moan.” Cloud immediately let out a cry, like the one he made earlier when Sephiroth first marked him. _So cute._

Sephiroth snapped his hips against Cloud’s ass, watching the surprise form on his face, indicating that he found _that spot_. He moved faster and faster, practically rocking the bed from his force. He groaned at the feel of Cloud’s ass clenching around him and continued watching his expressions. _Beautiful._

Cloud held back for as long as he could, happy that Sephiroth pulled out right when he thought he couldn’t hold on any longer. Hot cum sprayed all over his stomach, and he smiled at the feeling of being used like this. _Do whatever you want to me._

Zack sat back against the headboard with Cloud in his lap facing him. He looked like an utter _mess _with his mascara leaving dark streaks down the sides of his face. Zack had to calm down when he suddenly envisioned fucking Cloud until he cried for mercy. Instead, he allowed his omega to grind against his now-hard cock. Pale arms wrapped around his neck and the alpha kissed his cheek. “You still didn’t come.”

Cloud slowed his movements. “I… wanted my alphas to have their fun first.”

“Since when did we ever make you feel the need to do that?” Zack playfully ruffled his hair. “Just let it happen. We love watching you.”

He smiled at him. “Maybe I like doing it.”

Sephiroth settled behind him and kissed the Alpha Marks. “You would make us even happier if you came too, Cloud.” He trailed his hands down his sides and tightened his hold around slim hips. “Move for us,” he whispered.

Those words gave him permission to lose himself with unabated lust. With Sephiroth’s help, he was once again full of Zack’s cock. Cloud tossed his head back with a moan, hardly able to move as his body trembled from feeling _so_ _damn good._

“There we go,” said Zack. His omega looked so well-fucked that he wished this night would never end. “That’s the look I wanted to see.”

Sephiroth kissed along Cloud’s neck, stopping to lick at his scent gland and purring when he tasted jasmine. “Come for us.”

Cloud rode Zack with a bite of his lip. Fingers immediately pushed his mouth back open, forcing him to cry out in pleasure. He leaned forward and kissed Zack, rocking his hips when the angle allowed for deeper penetration. The omega felt Sephiroth leave his side, giving him more room to manipulate his hips in Zack’s lap. The alpha cursed from his technique and squeezed Cloud’s thighs.

“Cloud…” Zack moaned when he did it again and _again._ Oh Gaia, he was about to lose his fucking mind! His hands cupped the omega’s ass, giving him full control of the pace. He thrusted upwards with a growl, his indigo eyes glowing as he watched his omega’s sensual expression.

This time, Zack didn’t pull out when he came right after Cloud. The blond trembled in his arms when the most powerful orgasm he’s ever had made his body go limp. Zack held Cloud in place as he came, biting his shoulder with a deep groan. He barely felt Cloud come all over his chest, as he didn’t care that his omega made a complete mess all over his body.

Completely relaxed on the pillows, Sephiroth glared at the other alpha. “Now I have to wait.” Though what these two just did briefly pushed back his annoyance. He might as well get used to being a voyeur since he had to share Cloud for the rest of his life.

Zack nuzzled Cloud’s neck, holding him tightly against his chest. “Got lost in the heat of passion.”

Next time, he will make sure to fuck Cloud senseless and use the same excuse.

* * *

Zack woke earlier than he would have liked. Taking a deep breath, his eyes slowly opened, and his blurry vision attempted to focus on the sleeping blond next to him. Confused, he blinked several times and yawned, slowly rising on his elbows. The clock on the wall stated that it was definitely way too early for him to be awake. Sighing, he fell back on the pillow and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to collect himself.

Hearing the soft snores from his omega caused him to open his eyes again and stare at Cloud. His hair curled around the side of his face, and a few strands stuck to his lips. Zack smiled and brushed the strands away, glancing at the hickey on his neck.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Cloud woke up faster than he predicted. While Zack indulged his omega’s body heat, Sephiroth decided to take advantage of Cloud’s grogginess and gave him a hickey right above his scent gland. The alpha claimed it was payback for sedating Cloud before he had his second round. But when Cloud rolled over and stared at Sephiroth, eyes full of lust after getting marked again, the alpha lost his composure and fucked him back to sleep.

_Cloud rested on his side while Sephiroth took him from behind. His leg was raised in the air, giving the alpha full access to his entrance. The entire bedroom smelled like him, and Zack could almost taste rose-scented pheromones on his tongue. Zack yanked the bedsheet aside so he could see slick pooling onto the bed. For a split second, he thought it was an unexpected heat cycle, but he then realized that Cloudy was just really, _really _horny. _

_ “Alpha! More!”_

Zack groaned and slowly dragged his hands down his face. He was actually getting a boner while he reminisced about last night. Watching Cloud with another alpha was strangely satisfying. Perhaps it’s because he shared Cloud with Sephiroth and not with someone he didn’t like. Otherwise, last night would have had a completely different ending.

He willed himself to get out of the bed before Cloud woke up. If those baby blues looked at him again, he may—

Turning his head to the side, he gasped when the exact thing happened. Cloud silently watched him with a deeply sated expression. Zack didn’t hold back when they kissed. He pulled the blond closer and slid his tongue inside, tasting him and swallowing his soft moans. Gods, he didn’t want their time together to end.

There was this moment of serenity from the omega as he pulled back and gazed into indigo depths. In front of him was the alpha he knew since childhood, and behind him was his very first alpha who turned out to be nothing like the horror stories from the Nibelheim townsfolk. The marks on the back of his neck will now prevent any other alpha from assaulting him. On one hand, he didn’t like the idea of belonging to someone; but on the other hand, he was so close to being bound by alphas he liked. _How_ did he get so lucky to be with alphas who weren’t as crazy as the others have said? In fact, he met five if he included Barret, Angeal, and Genesis.

“You look worried about something,” Zack said before cupping his cheek. “You okay?”

“I just realized that I met more alphas here than in my entire life, and you and Seph are the only ones who… I’m attracted to. Why is that?”

Zack contemplated the question before answering, “You trust us.”

He held the hand on his face. _Is it that simple?_

Sephiroth rolled over and tossed his arm around Cloud’s waist. “It’s also because we’re a fated threesome, supposedly.”

Cloud turned his head in surprise. “You were listening?”

“I’ve been awake for the past hour.”

“Creep,” Zack muttered under his breath. He felt someone kick him underneath the blanket and knew it was Seph, given that Cloud was the shortest of the three and had plenty of room to kick higher than necessary.

“Fated?” Cloud remembered their short conversation last month about soulmates. “How did you guys figure that out?”

“Genesis found a book that summed up what we’ve been experiencing since you came here,” Sephiroth explained. “I was a bit skeptical at first but given how the three of us are sharing the same bed like it’s natural is confirmation.”

_Oh. Is that why we encountered each other at the bookstore?_ And because Genesis is bound to Angeal, that may also explain why he was able to roam freely around the omega sector. “Um, why do your friends smell so much like you guys? Shouldn’t I be aroused by them too?”

“You’re not?” Zack asked, propping himself against the headboard.

“No. I just feel safe.”

“Strange,” Sephiroth said as he tightened his hold on Cloud. Body spooning behind his omega, he instinctively purred and nuzzled jasmine-scented skin. Cloud angled his head to give him more access to his neck. A move like that told him that he fully trusted him not to nibble on that gland...

Zack smirked at the look on Cloud’s face. Forget what he thought about earlier—if these were the expressions Cloud would make from now on, then he was okay with sharing. “Yeah, so, I’m guessing that Genesis and Angeal are around us so much that they take on our scents.”

He slowly pulled away from his omega, his eyes dimming back to their normal hue. “I don’t smell you or me on them.” Ever since his friends formed their bond, they only smelled like each other. But lately, their scents became less entwined and more individual. When a pair shared a bond, it was hard to tell them apart without sight. However, something happened that triggered this—

Sephiroth stared at Cloud when he realized that this all started ever since he brought him back to Midgar. Genesis patrolled Paradise Sector more than enough times beforehand, and not once did he ever admit to growling at omegas. Yet Angeal didn’t feel anything towards Cloud outside of wanting to protect him. Their opposing reactions may indicate that Cloud was the driving force behind their weakened bond. “It’s because of you…” he whispered.

“What do you mean?” Zack asked. He didn’t like the contemplative look on his face.

“Why is it that Cloud only smelled us on them, but nobody else ever brought that to our attention?” He looked at Zack. “On top of that, out of all the omegas in Seventh Heaven, Angeal and Genesis only watched Cloud like the rest of us unmated alphas.” They were not supposed to be easily affected because of their bond.

“What, are they Cloud’s soulmates too?” He scoffed at the idea. “I doubt that because they would be in this bed too.”

Cloud quietly listened to them, trying not to panic at the thought of having more alpha mates. Having two sounded like an anomaly in itself—but _four _was impossible.

Sephiroth shook his head. “I’m trying not to believe it either, but the only way we would know for sure is when—"

Zack sat upright with a growl. “If you are _thinking_ about including them on the mating schedule, then you are out of your _godsdamned mind_, Sephiroth.”

He growled back at him. “Sharing Cloud with you is already beyond my limits, but I would _never_ jeopardize my friendship for the sake of curiosity.” He hinted that the only way they would know was if Cloud’s heat cycle affected them. But they would have to be on that schedule, which is why he didn’t want to finish his sentence.

Cloud was reminded of the scientist from the other day. A small shudder ran down his spine when he remembered the gross threat of adding a bunch of alphas in his seven-day heat window if he didn’t cooperate. He wanted to tell his alphas about the conversation, but the more he tried to speak up, fear hindered him from saying much of anything. _Why am I so terrified all the sudden?_

“There’s no way that they are soulmates too, Seph.” He let out a huff and was mad that their conversation went down a path he’d rather not discuss. “Genesis still offers himself whenever you are in your rut cycle. Their bond wasn’t strong to begin with because mated pairs don’t do that.”

“Angeal was always with us when that happened.”

Cloud was shocked to discover that Sephiroth went to his friends during his rut cycle. Zack was right, mated alphas don’t usually do that. That was _his _job, not someone at the Inn, or other alphas. “Then they aren’t my soulmates.” When both men looked at him, he pulled the blanket closer to his chin out of nervousness and added, “I-I think he was more aroused by your scent out of habit, since you said that he offers himself for your rut cycle…” _Instead of me._

Sephiroth sighed. Angeal suspected that was the reason too, but hearing Cloud come to a similar conclusion confirmed his theory. “I won’t overthink it then. However, I do believe you are a catalyst behind their bond.”

Zack thought that may be part of the reason, but something else told him that all five of them were connected in a way. Angeal and Genesis also smelled only one alpha on Cloud. What if instead of fated mates that they were a fated… family? It’s weird to say that given that their relationship was different than most people’s, but what other explanation could there be? After all, Cloud had two soulmates; perhaps there’s such a thing as a soul family?

Cloud’s growling stomach tore him from his thoughts. Both alphas chuckled at the blond as he whined and pulled the covers over his head.

“I haven’t eaten in over a day…” he muttered.

“That’s not good.” Sephiroth climbed out of the bed. “I wonder if this apartment has the amenities?”

Zack said, “The bathroom had toiletries, so maybe.”

“Hmph.” He found his underwear hidden under his discarded jeans. “Hopefully, they have clothes for him too.”

Cloud then realized that sometime during the night, the rest of his dance outfit was ripped off. He blushed even harder when he remembered Sephiroth tearing off his leather bra and—

“Cloud,” Zack called, “why don’t you take a bath first while Seph and I straighten up the bedroom?”

“Okay…”

While Cloud was in the shower, Zack walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He let out a surprised sound at the stock of perishables. “Huh. It’s fully equipped.” Then he noticed that this placed reminded him of the random homes Shinra bought for omegas in heat. All those locations he was sent to had food, clothes, and everything one needed for an overnight stay. The fact that Shinra created hotels for heat cycles just sounded so _wrong._

But Cloud will eventually be in one too.

_Seven days_ isolated with an omega in heat will be exciting, yet terrifying. Cloudy meant everything to him, but what if his rut cycle happened during that time? Come to think of it, shouldn’t he be close to his rut cycle? And Seph hasn’t had his in longer than two months…

Sephiroth dumped the tied bedsheets on the floor. “I’m surprised that woman didn’t ask for a deposit.”

“Her name is Tifa.”

He quirked a brow. “Friend of yours?”

“Sort of…” He opened the cabinets and saw a collection of canned food.

He wanted to ask but, “Did you see Barret there?”

“Yeah. I thought he left Midgar.”

“I heard rumors that he was a reliable source when it came to contacting omegas. I think he’s the perfect fit for that job.”

Zack turned around and folded his arms across his chest. “If… something were to happen to Cloud…”

“Genesis, Angeal, and now Barret will be the ones we seek.” The woman named Tifa will also be a good contact.

He wasn’t sure if they should endanger more people for the sake of keeping Cloud away from Shinra. “We should just hide here and work at Seventh Heaven for the rest of our lives.” He meant that as a joke, but the idea didn’t sound too bad the more he looked around.

Sephiroth shook his head. “If we do come to that decision, we cannot stay in Midgar.”

“Why not? It’s a big city!”

“Yes, let us stay under the watchful eye of a mega-corporation.” His voice dripped with sarcasm. “Surely they wouldn’t look for us in the slums.”.

“Where can we go? Gongaga is the last place I would return to for obvious reasons.”

“This is why I suggest we talk to Barret when that time comes. He may know a place where Shinra can’t reach us.” If that was even possible.

“We’ve _got _to make sure no one else is on that schedule.”

“And how can we hide from Shinra for seven days? My absence would be noticeable, and Heidegger is already aware that you willingly left the Inn for Cloud.”

Zack closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. “What do we do, Seph? I don’t want to lose Cloud to another alpha!”

Sephiroth let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the wall. “I… regret bringing Cloud here…” He placed a hand on his forehead, suddenly tired from all their thinking. This day was supposed to be full of hedonisms. Instead, they finally concluded that even though they could be sneaky for a short period of time, they had to return back to the Company and continue their lives as if nothing happened. Thankfully, Cloud’s heat wasn’t until next season, which gave him time to conjure a plan.

When Cloud emerged from the bathroom clutching the towel around his body, his blue eyes landed on his two alphas, who looked troubled over something. The omega couldn’t help but sob when he knew that they had the same thoughts.

_I don’t want to go back._


End file.
